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SERMONS FROM THE 
SIGN-BOARDS 

OR 

LESSONS FROM EVERY-DAY LIFE 



A SERIES OF ADDRESSES 

BY 

NELSON D. SWEENY 



I 



CINCINNATI 

PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR BY 

JENNINGS AND GRAHAM 






Copyright, 1913, by 
N. D. Sweeny 



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©CIA358408 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Page 

Homes in the Hills, 11 

A Tale the Carriage Could Tell, - 22 

Square Dealing, ----- 32 

Feeding the Hungry, _ . - - 44 

Trade in East St. Louis, - - - - 62 

The World Moves— So Do We, - - 72 

Cleanliness, ------ 83 

The White Hearse, _ - . _ 90 

The Household of God, - - - - 102 

Buy A Lot AND Build A Home, - - 117 

How Did It Happen ? . - - - - 127 

Pictures, ------ 137 

Speed, Comfort, Beauty, - - - - 144 

When You Go To Housekeeping, - - 157 

A Cleaner City, ------ 168 

Life Insurance, - - - - - 179 

Sale Day Every Day, _ - - - I86 

What Do You Do With Your Money ? 199 

The Journey of Life, - - - - 214 

Light and Power, ----- 222 

When Death Comes, 239 



FOREWORD 

This book is a bridge. One end of the arch 
rests upon the pulpit, the other upon the counter. 

It spans the gulf which men have digged be- 
tween what they are pleased to call the "sacred" 
and the "secular" — though neither of those words 
appear anywhere in the Bible. 

These "Sermons from the vSign-boards" were 
originally prepared for and delivered to the vSun- 
day evening congregations of Century Methodist 
Episcopal Church, in East St. Louis, 111. These 
congregations consist chiefly of young people 
from the shops, stores, and offices of this indus- 
trial city. 

The business men, from whose slogans these 
lessons are drawn, are in no wise responsible for 
the author's views. The themes were used with- 
out their knowledge or consent, so they must 
not be held accountable for our statements. 

Care has been taken, however, not to thus 
give prominence to any unworthy or irresponsi- 
ble firm, but to present only those whom we 
believe to be honest and honorable. 

The author makes no idle boast of originality 
of thought, but seeks simply to follow the ex- 
ample of the Great Teacher, who pointed His 
truths with "Lessons from every-day life." 

7 



FOREWORD 

Not only did the lilies of the field, the fruits 
of the vine and fig tree, and the sower sowing 
the seed, afford Him suitable object lessons, but 
the fishermen casting their nets, the children 
playing in the market-place, and the merchant- 
man seeking goodly pearls were to Him suit- 
able objects from which to draw lessons of im- 
mortal worth. 

If we, like Shakespeare, can find 

"Tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, 
Sermons in stones, and good in everything," 

happy shall we be. 

If these sermons teach our young people to 
keep their eyes open, and train their minds to 
perceive moral and spiritual lessons in the every- 
day things of our prosy lives, we shall be satis- 
fied. 

It is needless to say that this is not a book 
for the critics, but for common, every-day folks. 
The writer has had in mind the entreaty of the 
''Good Shepherd," who said, ''Feed My lambs, 
feed My sheep." He has left the job of feeding 
the girafifes to more pretentious authors. He 
would gently remind you, however, that even 
a girafife may find some very wholesome food 
in the manger of the sheep — if he be but will- 
ing to bend his long neck to reach it. 

We realize vividly that this volume is very 
incomplete. We trust, however, that it will prove 
suggestive. We have no doubt that it will be 

8 



FOREWORD 

read by all classes of people. Professional and 
business men have already ordered it. Patients 
in the hospital, lingering upon beds of pain, with 
the dark shadows hovering near, await its com- 
ing. The rich and poor will read it. Copies of 
it will lie upon the ofBce-desks of the city's 
busiest men. Other copies will reach the fire- 
side of the quiet country home, and the family 
will gather around the home circle and listen 
while one reads aloud the message of these pages. 
Preachers will pass it around at our next An- 
nual Conference and discuss its teachings. 

White-haired saints in happy homes will 
praise God for its precious truths; while sin- 
stained souls, in dens of vice, will eagerly grasp 
the hope held out to the penitent. Tempted 
souls will stop and ponder, and turn from sin's 
alluring charms. 

How does the author know all this? He has 
witnessed these scenes so often. 

May the Spirit of God bear home to each heart 
the lessons which that one should learn ! 

Fraternally, 

N. D. Sweeny. 



Sermons From the Sign-Boards 



HOMES IN THE HILLS 

''Their children . remember their altars and 
their groves, bv the green trees, upon the high 
hills." 

"Lord, who shall abide in Thy tabernacle? 
Who shall dwell in Thy holy hill? He that 
walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, 
and speaketh the truth in his heart." 

"Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? 
or who shall stand in His holy place? He that 
hath clean hands and a pure heart : who hath 
not lifted up his soul unto vanity nor sworn 
deceitfully." 

"Thou shalt come to the hill of God ; . . . 
and the Spirit of the Lord will come upon thee, 
and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be 
turned into another man." 

All the world is debtor to the author of 
"Home, Sweet Home." 

He has rendered to the race a service which 
can never be fully estimated nor repaid. Me- 
thinks all heaven must honor him. Other men 
likewise have exalted the home, but none too 
highly. The dearest, sweetest spot on earth is 
home. If this is not true of your home, then 
your home is a perversion. It has failed for some 
reason to fulfill its highest and holiest mission. 

II 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

God's Word presents the Home as a type of 
heaven. Such indeed the true home is. Our 
highest ideal of heaven is that it is an eternal 
"Home." Fellowship with God — our Father; 
and with His Son — our Elder Brother; and with 
the saints of all ages, in one great family, is our 
highest aspiration, our most glorious hope. 

If home is, then, in God's thought, worthy of 
being used as the type of heaven, how worthy 
it must be of our deepest concern, our most 
earnest labor, our greatest sacrifice ! 

The men from whose business enterprises 
we draw this lesson are concerned in matters 
pertaining to the home. They present for your 
consideration certain propositions worthy of note. 

The first of these is the location. "Where 
shall I build my home?" you ask. They reply, 
"In Edgewood — 'Edgewood the Incomparable.' " 
On the bluffs, away from the din and roar of 
the city; yet near enough to permit the man 
who lives there to attend to business or to work 
in town. 

Then the environment. The cool shade of 
forest trees in the heat of summer. The balmy 
air, singing birds, and blooming flowers. 

Other items to be noted are the health and 
happiness incident to such a locality; a place for 
the children to play, away from the contaminat- 
ing influences of the streets and alleys, and even 
the dooryards of the more congested sections; 
and the sense of freedom and independence, so 

12 



HOMES IN THE HILLS 

dear to the American people. Doubtless many 
other attractions could be enumerated, but these 
are sufficient. 

The Bible is replete with admonitions and 
exhortations to live higher lives. Our Father 
is concerned, above all else, in the highest de- 
velopment of His children. 

Our city lies in the lowlands. The fogs 
gather here. The smoke and noise of the city, 
Avhile indicating industrial and business activity, 
is not conducive to the quiet, calm pleasures of 
the home. 

Quite suggestive, is it not, of the low plane 
on which so many lives are spent? Not neces- 
sarily sinful — in the more flagrant application 
of that word — but missing the high and holy 
things which God ordained should form so im- 
portant a part of life's experiences. Good peo- 
ple? Yes. Business men? Yes, perhaps, but 
so devoted to business that its cares weigh them 
down to a sordid level. Are they Christians? 
A\>11. yes, some of them; yet so little of the real 
joy. victory, and thrill of triumph has entered 
their hearts that even religion is a burden. 
Church membership to them is an obligation ; 
a sacred obligation, they may call it, the duties 
of which are to be performed — we had almost 
said, endured — in the sense of an added business 
care ; just one more heavy burden imposed upon 
them. 

These are good people. They love God. 

15 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

They do good works. But it makes one sad to 
see them drudging along like slaves, when they 
might "mount up with wings, as eagles; run 
and not be weary ; walk and not faint." 

The poet had such conditions in mind when 
he wrote : 

"Look how we grovel here below, 
Fond of these earthly toys ; 
Our feet, how heavily they go 
To seek eternal joys !" 

The Psalmist exclaimed, 'T will look unto the 
hills, from whence cometh my help ; my help 
cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and 
earth." 

How often "the hills" are mentioned in the 
Scriptures ; and how thrilling are the memories 
of those hillside and hilltop experiences ! 

How vividly life among the hills reminds us 
of the One who "created the hills also !" In 
Switzerland they have a proverb which says, 
"Amid the mountains there are no infidels." 

This writer will never forget the first time 
he stood upon the summit of Pike's Peak — that 
marvelous "Monument of the North American 
Continent" — and beheld those glories of God's 
handiwork. He felt like exclaiming, in the words 
of one who had preceded him, "Truly, God hath 
been here !" or like the devout Jacob of old : 
"Surely the Lord is in this place ; and I knew 
it not. . . . This is none other but the house 
of God, and this is the gate of heaven." 

i6 



HOMES IN THE HILLS 

The bluffs are not mountains ; but living on 
higher ground is suggestive of living higher, 
holier, happier lives. Let us compare the at- 
tractions, set forth by the real estate men, with 
the promised experiences of the spiritual life. 

We observe, then, that the higher life — the 
holy, happy. Christian life — is conducive to 
health. 

Every ph^^sician, nurse, and charity worker 
has been impressed with the fact that the great 
majority of sufferers are but paying the penalty 
of broken laws. Disease and death hold carnival 
among those who are content to live low lives. 
Obedience to the laws of God promotes health. 
A clean body, contented mind, and cheerful heart 
are the best preventives of disease. The power 
of the spirit over the body is not yet fully ap- 
preciated or understood. To live on the bluffs, 
where the air is pure and the sun shines bright, 
must be beneficial to physical health ; but to live 
"in the mount of God," where He "causeth the 
east wind to blow in the heavens," and where 
men "eat angels' food," causes us to develop into 
"the stature of the fullness of Christ," and thus 
"be strong in the Lord." 

The bluffs are recommended as the best place 
to raise children — away from the contaminating 
influences of the streets and alleys — up into the 
healthful and morally pure atmosphere of the 
country. How this reminds us that the chil- 
dren should have a home — wherever located — in 

2 j*7 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

which the higher, purer thoughts and ideals of 
life are impressed, which will preserve them 
from things degrading! 

Christianity is the greatest promoter of 
morals. The fear of the law may deter some 
evil-minded men from committing crime. Hope 
of reward may inspire some people to maintain 
higher moral standards. But the great mass of 
law-abiding citizens are such, not because they 
are controlled by external forces, but because 
they are impelled by internal motives. 

George Washington, in his memorable "Fare- 
well Address," says : "Let us with caution in- 
dulge the supposition that morality can be main- 
tained without religion. Whatever may be con- 
ceded to the influence of refined education on 
minds of peculiar structure, reason and experi- 
ence both forbid us to expect that national 
morality can prevail in exclusion of religious 
principle." 

The love of God — and consequently the love 
of all the attributes of God — is the strongest 
incentive to the highest attainments in life. 
Love of our fellow-men — which is naturally en- 
gendered of the love of God — prompts us to 
maintain right relations with our fellow-men. 

These truths should be taught our children 
if they are to be led to lives of righteousness 
and usefulness. How are they to be taught? 
By sending them regularly to the Sunday school 
and Church services? Yes, that will help; but 

i8 



HOMES IN THE HILLS 

the best method of all, and the most effective 
method, is to raise them in a home where high 
ideals are maintained and the purest Christian 
graces are exemplified in the lives of the parents. 

If our children are to become men and v^omen 
of good morals, clear brains, steady hands, strong 
bodies, and keen consciences, they should early 
learn to climb "the mount of God" and sit at 
the feet of the Great Teacher, w^ho came "that 
v^e might have life ; and that wq might have it 
more abundantly." 

There is a peculiar thrill of happiness in the 
life of the hills. Perhaps we could not describe 
it. It must be felt to be appreciated. So in the 
Christian life there is a thrill of joy which those 
who have never experienced, can not possibly 
realize. One draught of "the water of life," as 
from the cool springs of the hills, sends an in- 
describable current of new life through soul and 
body. It is this which causes us to sing: 

"I am dwelling on the mountain. 

Where the golden sunlight gleams 
O'er a land whose wondrous beauty 

Far exceeds my fondest dreams ; 
Where the air is pure, ethereal, 

Laden with the breath of flowers; 
They are blooming by the fountain, 

'Neath the amaranthine bowers. 

"I can see far down the mountain. 
Where I wandered weary years. 
Often hindered in my journey 

By the ghosts of doubts and fears ; 

19 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

Broken vows and disappointments 
Thickly sprinkled all the way, 

But the Spirit led unerring 
To the land I hold to-day. 

"I am drinking at the fountain, 

Where I ever would abide; 
For I Ve tasted life's pure river^. 

And my soul is satisfied; 
There 's no thirsting for life's pleasures, 

Nor adorning rich and gay. 
For I 've found a richer treasure — 

One that fadeth not away." 

We are not to cherish the thought, however, 
that living the higher life should prevent us 
from laboring with the multitude. The man who 
lives on the bluflfs is expected to labor in town. 
He comes each morning to his office, store, or 
workshop. He spends the day amid the toil, 
noise, and grime of the busy city; but when 
evening comes, he "shuts up shop" and retires to 
his home in the hills. 

Does not this remind us of Jesus, when He 
was here among men? How often we read of 
His busy days, when the suffering, sin-sick mul- 
titude pressed about Him to hear His words of 
wisdom, or to receive His healing touch ! How 
He labored with them, even when "there were 
many coming and going, and He had no leisure 
so much as to eat !" Then, when the busy day 
was done, "He went up into the mountain" — often 
alone; at other times with His chosen twelve, 
who were all the "family" He had. Sometimes 

20 



HOMES IN THE HILLS 

He simply rested. Sometimes He "tarried all 
night in prayer." But always "on the morrow — 
when He was come down from the mount" — • 
He sought the scenes of toil, sin, and suffering. 

It is a mistake to think that one must be 
separated from the toiling, struggling masses in 
order to live the higher life. To do that is to 
become a proud and bigoted Pharisee, and no 
one is more unchristlike. 

Jesus is our Great Example. He set the pur- 
est, truest, and most exalted standard of life, 
yet ever mingled and labored with the sinful, 
poor, and needy. 

The highest lives are spent in the lowliest 
service. 



21 



A TALE THE CARRIAGE COULD TELL 

''There was a marriage in Cana of Galilee." 

"Rachel was beautiful and well favored, and 
Jacob loved Rachel." 

"What therefore God hath joined together, let 
not man put asunder." 

"The Kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain 
king which made a marriage for his son." 

"Suffer the little children to come unto Me, 
and forbid them not, for of such is the Kingdom 
of God." 

"Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, 
like as a shock of corn cometh in, in his season." 

Have the carriages been to your home? 

What was the occasion? Perhaps they have 
made several visits. Some occasions were sea- 
sons of joy; others of sadness. * 

What a tale these carriages could tell ! A 
tale that would recount the deepest and sweetest 
experiences of life. The brightest joys, the dark- 
est sorrows are inseparably connected with the 
story of these carriages. Let us sketch a few 
scenes. 

The bells are pealing a joyous call. Perhaps 
it is a rosy morning in June. Nature wakes to 
bless the "Giver of all good." The sun shines 
the brightest, it seems, that we have ever seen. 
The air is scented with the fragrance of the full- 
blown rose. The birds are pouring forth their 

22 



A TALE THE CARRIAGE COULD TELL 

sweetest carols, vieing with each other in their 
varied notes of love and praise. Friends and rela- 
tives have gathered from far and near. Love and 
joy reign supreme. It is some one's wedding-day. 

The carriages are called, and the happy throng 
hasten to the house of God. 

Another wedding — or what is called such — 
is taking place the same day, but not in the 
church. It is a justice-of-the-peace affair. 

A justice of the peace, indeed! Or rather, a 
police-court judge, before whom criminals are 
tried. A trial is in progress. A criminal in 
chains stands at the bar, awaiting sentence for 
a vile crime. Other criminals are waiting to hear 
their doom. The air is stifling with tobacco 
smoke and reeking with the foul fumes of whisky. 
Curses and blasphemies are breathed by foulest 
lips. A messenger enters. The judge declares 
an intermission of a few minutes, and retires to 
a room in the rear. A young man and woman, 
holding the necessary legal documents in hand, 
are there. A hurried greeting, a few formal 
words, a contract is signed, and the couple hasten 
away. The judge returns to his criminals. Word 
is passed round among the motley throng that 
the judge has performed a marriage ceremony. 
Comments too vulgar and vile to be repeated are 
freel}^ made by blasphemous voices, and loud, 
coarse laughter responds to the degrading jests. 

A wedding! Can we call it such? O, shame 
to American manhood ! O, disgrace to Amer- 

25 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

ican womanhood ! O, travesty and caricature 
upon the sacred ordinance of God ! 

We hear much of the evils of divorce, and 
the truth is too black for any brush to paint; 
but is it any wonder that our police courts are 
filled with scandalous divorce cases when such 
as this is called marriage? 

The Christian invocation upon the marriage 
bond is this, ''What God hath joined together 
let not man put asunder." The modern vulgar 
and irreligious ceremony might well contain this 
clause, "What the police courts have joined to- 
gether, the police courts can put asunder," and 
the thousands of wrecked and ruined homes bear 
witness to the fact that there are those who are 
just as ready to separate a husband and wife 
for a paltry fee as they were, for a similar paltry 
fee, to perform a ceremony which the law calls 
marriage. 

And our daily papers — papers that go into 
homes — respectable homes — and are read by 
young and old alike, around the family circle — 
these papers; however much their editors might 
wish to keep them decent, are required, by the 
morbid appetite of degenerate readers, to print 
accounts of these affairs — just as they are re- 
quired to print the accounts of robberies, mur- 
ders, and other vile crimes — and herald to the 
world the fact that Judge A — or Justice B — 
has performed so many hundreds of these — what? 
Marriages? 

26 



A TALE THE CARRIAGE COULD TELL 

But, thank God ! the wedding to which the 
carriages have gone this beautiful June day is 
not that kind of a wedding. It is a sacred, holy, 
happy time. 

The carriage is trimmed in white — emblem of 
purity. The ceremony is performed in the church 
— symbol of holiness. Not a place where crim- 
inals are dragged in chains to receive the sen- 
tence for their crimes, but the place where God, 
the loving Father, speaks peace to the children 
of His love. It is the minister who performs 
the ceremony. Not a judge, who exacts an oath 
of allegiance to a contract of law, the violation 
of which entails certain penalties ; but a man 
called and anointed of God to stand in the holy 
place and be the human instrument in perform- 
ing His sacred service. 

The carriage speeds aAvay with its precious 
burden; husband and wife, beginning their jour- 
ney on the highway of life with a ride in this 
carriage. 

Time passes — 

*'The seasons come and go, 

As come the smiles and tears ; 

And so the weeks grow into months, 

The months grow into years. "^ 

Almost unconsciously the young bride has laid 
aside the lighter gaieties and follies of her girl- 
hood for the more mature and matronly graces 
of womanhood. The husband, too, has changed — 

27 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

changes for the better in both of them. The 
reaHties of life, with its business cares, its duties 
of citizenship, and its cares of the household, 
have made him more thoughtful, steady, manly. 
' One day the carriage comes again to the door. 
Husband and wife step inside and are again 
driven to the church. Again they stand before 
the altar. Again the minister confronts them. 
But this time they present a third party. A wee, 
small bundle of helpless and innocent humanity 
is laid in the old pastor's arms. They know that 
it is very small ; but it will grow. They know 
that it does not understand the sacred service; 
but it will learn. They know it has not sinned; 
but they know that the battle of sin and right- 
eousness is before it. They would anticipate the 
growth of its body. They would begin its teach- 
ing from the very days of infancy. They know 
that Jesus said, "Sufifer the little children to 
come unto Me, and forbid them not, for of such 
is the Kingdom of God," so, like the mothers in 
the time of Christ, they bring their little child 
to Him. 

The carriage bears them back to the home, 
blessed institution of God, where begins its train- 
ing for the race of life. 

(I wonder if the other couple took their child 
to the police court to have him consecrated to 
the kind of life represented there. Perhaps it 
was not necessary.) 

The years pass swiftly. Other children are 
28 



A TALE THE CARRIAGE COULD TELL 

born into the family circle and are consecrated 
to God. The carriage is called again and again. 

The children grow to maturity. The father 
and mother are proud of their noble sons and 
beautiful daughters. They, too, are married. 
The carriage makes more trips. 

Time and space would fail us to tell of the 
holidays, the birthday parties, the picnics, flower 
parades, and other occasions which the sight of 
these carriages recall. Blessed home ! Blessed 
family ! Fitting type of the home in heaven. 
How glorious has been the mission of the car- 
riage ! What precious burdens it has borne ! 

Down in the police court another scene is 
enacted. The bonds so unworthily pronounced 
are severed, and the members of what might 
have been a happy family are separated and set 
adrift on the sea of life, like the wreckage of 
some noble vessel, torn to pieces by a fearful, 
storm. Sad, sad the story ! A sight to make 
godly men and women to shudder ; the angels of 
heaven to weep, and the demons of hell to shout 
in fiendish glee. God of heaven, pity the err- 
ing! 

There comes another day. The bells toll. 
Voices are hushed. Footsteps fall lightly. The 
carriages are again at the door. Again they wend 
their way to the house of God. Sad? Yes, but 
theirs is that holy sadness which is deeper than 
the deepest joy. A sadness which melts the 
harder elements of the heart and enables it to 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

receive more deeply the impress of the divine 
image. 

"I am the Resurrection and the Life. He 
that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet 
shall he live ; and whosoever liveth and believeth 
in Me shall never die." "Let not your heart be 
troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in Me. 
In My Father's house are many mansions ; if 
it were not so I would have told you. I go to 
prepare a place for you. And if I go and pre- 
pare a place for you, I will come again and 
receive you unto Myself, that where I am, there 
ye may be also." "Blessed are the dead which 
die in the Lord from henceforth, yea, saith the 
Spirit, that they may rest from their labors, and 
their works do follow them." "They shall hun- 
ger no more, neither thirst any more ; neither 
shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For 
the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne 
shall lead them unto living fountains of water; 
and God shall wipe away all tears from their 
eyes." How precious are the promises of God 
in the hours of sorrow ! 

The carriages are again filled. The sad yet 
triumphant procession drives away to yonder 
hill, where, amid tears and prayers, the loved 
form is laid away. 

Sweet flowers — emblems of the resurrection 
glory — cover the grave, where in coming years 
the path will be oft trod by loving feet, and 
where the sod will oft be watered with the tears 

30 



A TALE THE CARRIAGE COULD TELL 

of the bereaved. Yet, as from the tomb, comes 
the voice of God, "Blessed are they that do His 
commandments, that they may have right to the 
tree of life, and may enter in through the gates 
into the city." 

Back yonder, beneath the brow of the hill, 
another funeral is being held. "Unhonored and 
unsung," the wrecked form — all that is left of 
a misspent life — is being lowered into a grave. 

This path will not be kept clean. The briars 
will grow above the sunken ground. The one 
who bore the sacred name of wife by the law's 
decree for a little while, and then, by the law's 
decree, was deprived of it and cast aside — a worse 
than widowed wife — will not come, with loving 
and grateful heart, to plant fresh flowers upon this 
tomb. Worse than orphaned children, who must 
bear through life a shame that is not justly 
theirs, will not erect a monument here. Not 
even a police court official will come to pronounce 
a benediction. 

Another chapter in human life is written : and 
what is written here the great day of judgment 
will reveal. Teach us, dear Lord, the better way, 
that we may be ready when the carriage of 
heaven swings low to sweep us to the skies ! 



31 



SQUARE DEALING 

"Provide things honest in the sight of all 
men." 

"Not slothful in business, fervent in spirit, 
serving the Lord." 

"He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack 
hand; but the diligent maketh rich." 

"Now I pray to God that ye do no evil ; not 
that we should appear approved, but that ye 
should do that which is honest." 

"Love worketh no ill to his neighbor; there- 
fore, love is the fulfilling of the law." 

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are 
true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever 
things are just, whatsoever things are pure, 
whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things 
are of good report ; if there be any virtue, and 
if there be any praise, think on these things." 

In conversation with a company of men in 
our city, the firm of Fellner and Crow was men- 
tioned. One of the men present volunteered the 
remark, "No wonder they prosper; they are the 
squarest-dealing firm in town." We can not 
vouch for his comparisons. There may be other 
firms whose dealing are absolutely "square." But 
what a tribute to this firm that, from the words 
of another, this slogan could be taken, "We pros- 
per by square dealing!" In this day of crooked 
business, of "get-rich-quick" concerns, who care 

32 




DOES YOUR MAMMA TRADE AT FELLNER-CROW S 



SQUARE DEALING 

only for personal profit, such a statement is re- 
freshing. 

I do not know the name of the man who said 
it. I wish I did. Whoever he be, he is a public 
benefactor ; any man is who says good things 
about his home town and home people — pro- 
vided, of course, that his statements are true. 

We went on our way pondering the expres- 
sion, "square dealing." 

After all, is not this the very essence of the 
teaching of the Word of God? "What hath the 
Lord required of thee but to deal justly, to love 
mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" 

When John began preaching in the wilder- 
ness the messages that were to prepare the way 
for the coming of Jesus, it is written, "Then came 
publicans also to be baptized and said unto him, 
'Master, what shall we do?' and he said unto 
them, 'Exact no more than that which is ap- 
pointed you.' " In other words, he taught square- 
dealing. 

So many people regard the commands of the 
Bible as mysterious. They are not. I was talk- 
ing to an engineer from one of the mines about 
being a Christian. He replied that the Bible 
was such a strange Book. He could not under- 
stand it. I entered his engine room at the mJne 
one day. He was busy hoisting coal, but the 
hour for the change was near. I watched him 
at his work. The bell rang its signals. He 
answered. The bell rang again. Slowly and 

35 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

carefully the lever moved. The great drums on 
which the cables were wrapped began to revolve. 
The hand crept round the dial. Faster and faster 
the drum revolved, then more slowly ; slower still, 
till the landing was reached. The car was 
dumped; the signals sounded, and this cage went 
down while the other one rose. Then came dif- 
ferent signals. Greater care is taken now. More 
slowly the cage rises and stops at the other land- 
ing. There are men — not coal — on the cage this 
time. So the work went on till the gong sounded 
which declared that the work was done. Then 
the engineer and I talked it over. 

Stepping to the wall, I read a chart of rules. 
It told how much steam was necessary to run 
the engine successfully. It described the various 
signals. In fact, all the directions necessary for 
the proper care and control of the machinery 
were there. 

I asked the use of these rules. The engineer 
eyed me doubtfully, and explained them. I asked 
if he obeyed these rules. Why? Could he not 
break them if he wished to? What would be the 
result if he did? 

Did the company expect him to observe them? 
What would they do if he did not? If he failed 
to observe the rules, and some accident occurred, 
who would be responsible? Was it anybody's 
business whether he kept those rules or not? 
Could n't he run that engine to suit himself? and 
a lot of other questions which seemed senseless 

36 



SQUARE DEALING 

to liim and caused him to look at me in aston- 
ishment. 

Then I took out a Bible, and said: "M}^ 
friend, this is a Book of Rules — rules to govern 
a human machine, a body, a mind, and a soul. 
The Company who issue these rules expect you 
to obey them. They are responsible for running 
this world. Tt does make a difference to others 
whether you observe these rules or not. If you 
disobey them, it may bring accident or death 
to others. The Company hold you responsible. 
You may make your life a great blessing or a 
great curse." He saw the point. Do you? 

God's Word is our chart to govern our lives 
and direct them in the right channels. It is both 
negative and positive. Of every evil thing it com- 
mands, "Thou shalt not." Of every good thing 
it says, "Do this." 

The observance of its teachings has brought 
enlightenment, civilization, Christianity to many 
peoples. Nations have emerged from heathen 
darkness through following the rules laid down 
in this Book. Nations who do not know, or do 
not observe the teachings of this Book of God 
still struggle on in darkness. 

This Bible — God's Book of Rules for the hu- 
man race — is pre-eminently the book of ''square 
dealing." The very essence of this principle is 
contained in the verse which has been appro- 
priately called "The Golden Rule:" "Whatso- 
ever ye would that men should do to you, do ye 

37 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

even so to them." Notice carefully that this rule 
is not merely negative and passive. It is positive 
— active. We are sometimes told that Confucius 
wrote the "golden rule" several centuries before 
Christ. But his rule was merely negative: "Do 
not tmto others that which thou wouldst not 
they should do unto thee." A dead man observes 
that rule. The wooden Indian who stands in 
front of the cigar store is a saint, according to 
Confucius. To simply do nothing would fulfill 
such an ideal. Not so the command of Jesus. 
"Do ye even so to them," is His order. Almost 
every verse of that wonderful "Sermon on the 
Mount" is a clarion call to duty. A call to 
prayer ! A call to service ! A call to sacrifice ! 
A call to honest living ! I am sorry that many 
young men have looked upon the "prodigal son," 
an account of whose life is found in the fifteenth 
chapter of the Gospel of St. Luke, as an example 
worthy of their emulation. I regret exceedingly 
that any minister or any Sunday school teacher 
ever presented that lesson in a ' light which 
seemed to indicate that the prodigal was a hero. 
He was not. He was a mean, low, vile, con- 
temptible scamp ; a shame and disgrace to the 
honorable name of his dear old father. I sup- 
pose his mother w^as dead, since she is not men- 
tioned in the narrative. She had probably died 
of a broken heart. If she did, she is not the only 
mother who ever grieved herself to death over a 
disgraceful son. 

38 



SQUARE DEALING 

This self-conceited, unmanly, iing-rateful ego- 
tist said to his kind old father, "Father, give me 
the portion of goods that falleth to me." "And 
not many days after the younger son gathered 
all together (took all he could get) and took his 
journey to a far country, and there wasted his 
substance (his father's hard-earned money) in 
riotous living." 

Pretty hero, he was ! He has many twin 
brothers living- to-day, and every one of them is 
a disgrace to his home, his parents, and to the 
whole race. 

"And when he had spent all, there arose a 
mighty famine in that land, and he began to be 
in want. And he went and joined himself to a 
citizen of that country, and he sent him into his 
fields to feed swine." The only fit place for a 
young fellow of that type is a swine-pen. I have 
always felt a little sorry for the hogs, that they 
were compelled to associate with such a fellow. 
It was a disgrace to the hogs. There are young 
men in East St. Louis Avho are unfit for associa- 
tion with the brutes of our stock-yards. 

"And when he came to himself, he said. How 
many hired servants of my father's have bread 
enough and to spare, while I perish with hunger ! 
I will arise and go to my father." 

Wasn't that a noble thought? "There's 
plenty to eat at my father's house, and I 'm hun- 
gry ; so I '11 go home." Not one thought of the 
dear old father's love. Not a care for the anxiety 

39 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

and loneliness of those long hours of waiting in 
the desolate home. Only the thought of his own 
empty stomach, and the prospect of getting it 
filled. Noble lad ! Great example for aspiring 
young men ! 

No, no, my young friend ! Our Lord did not 
represent this young fellow as a hero. This is 
not really a parable of the "prodigal son ;" Jesus 
did not call it that. This is properly "The par- 
able of the loving father." The hero of this 
parable is not the wretched son, but the grand 
old father, who watched and waited, faithfully 
and lovingl3^ through wear}^ nights and days for 
the return of the wanderer. This father is the 
type of God, our Heavenly Father, who in His 
great love and mercy is willing to receive even 
such a scapegrace and give him another chance 
to become an honorable, square-dealing man. 

Away back in the early ages we read of the 
patriarch Job, of whom God said, "Hast thou 
considered My servant Job, that there is none 
like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright 
man, one that feareth God and escheweth evil?" 

Of Noah it was said that he was "a just man, 
and perfect in his generation." 

Such men have ever been the very "salt of 
the earth," who have kept this old world from 
becoming utterly corrupt. 

The need of to-day is men, righteous men, 
honest, upright. God-fearing men. Well may we 
repeat the cry of the poet : 
40 



SQUARE DEALING 

"God give us men, — a time like this demands 
Great hearts, strong minds, true faith, and ready 
hands : 

"Men whom the lust of office can not kill ; 

Men whom the spoils of office can not buy ; 
Men who possess opinions and will ; 

Men who love honor; men who will not lie. 

"Men who can stand before a demagogue 
And brave his treacherous flatteries without 
winking; 

Tall men, sun-crowned, who live above the fog 
In public duty and in private thinking. 

"For while the rabble, with its thumb-worn 
creeds, 
Its large professions and its little deeds. 
Mingle in selfish strife, lo ! Freedom weeps. 
Wrong rules the land, and waiting Justice 
sleeps." 

How may we secure such men? 

Wise ones there be who can describe minutely 
and in detail the process by which men are to be 
brought to an ideal standard. 

It may seem presumptuous in us to dis- 
agree with them, but somehow we can't get away 
from the old standards, taught of God in His 
Holy Word. 

We know that "fear of punishment" and 
"hope of reward" are strong factors in govern- 
ing men's actions. The Lord Himself recog- 
nized both of these powers. He threatens pun- 
ishment to the evil-doers; not only threatens, but 

41 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

inflicts. He promises rewards to the righteous ; 
and His blessings are manifest to all. Even 
Satan asked: "Doth Job fear God for naught? 
Hast Thou not made an hedge about him, and 
about his house, and about all that he hath on 
every side?" Not only so, but the same authority 
declares, "Thou hast blessed the ' work of his 
hands, and his substance is increased in the 
land." 

The Bible abounds in examples of the ful- 
fillment of such promises to the faithful children 
of God, and of the punishment of the wicked. 

But God's Word recognizes a power greater 
than either hope or fear. That supreme power 
is love. Love of God. Love of our fellow-men. 
Love of principle ; backed by a firm faith in the 
ultimate triumph of God and the right. 

This love we do not find in the heart of sin- 
ful men. For this reason we plead for that 
transformation in the heart of man which the 
Church calls couA^ersion. That change in the 
soul of man which transformed Saul of Tarsus 
into the great Apostle Paul. The power which 
drew Gypsy Smith from the wayside tent and 
sent him all over the world as a flaming evan- 
gelist. The change which came to a poor and 
Godless young Irish bricklayer, in the city of 
St. LvOuis, and developed in him the Christlike 
character of Bishop Mclntyre. The transforma- 
tion which took Jerry McAuley from behind 
prison bars to the glorious rescue work of Water 

42 



SQUARE DEALING 

Street Mission. The work of God in human souls 
which transformed Sam Jones, Sam Hadley, 
Harry Monroe, Billy Sunday, and multiplied 
thousands of others from great sinners into great 
Christians. 

O that men ever3^where may be transformed 
by that power till the Spirit of God in them shall 
reign ! 

This love will manifest Itself in our conduct 
toward one another as certainly as light will dis- 
pel darkness, or as trees will bear their natural 
fruits. "By this shall all men know that ye are 
My disciples, if ye have love, one to another." 
"Love worketh no ill to his neighbor; therefore 
love is the fulfilling of the law." How does love 
fulfill the law? If we "love our neighbor as our- 
selves" will we steal his goods, or cheat him out 
of that which is his due, or lie about him, or 
abuse his family, or any other evil thing? No. 

Let the love of Jesus Christ reign in the hearts 
of men and the era of honesty, square dealing, 
and universal kindness will have dawned. 



43 



FEEDING THE HUNGRY 

"Feed My sheep.'' 

"Give us this day our daily bread." 

"The lips of the righteous feed many." 

"For I Avas an hungered, and ye gave me 

meat." 

"If thine enemy hunger, feed him." 

"Lest there be any profane person, as Esau, 

who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright." 
"Trust in the Lord and do good ; so shalt thou 

dv^^ell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed." 

Volumes could be written upon the subject 
of food — food for the body — as a figure or rep- 
resentation of food for the soul. At another time, 
or in some other place, we would be pleased to 
present such a sermon. 

To-day we have in mind a specific lesson, 
showing how works of charity, or at least the 
'gift of food to the hungry, may be, to them, a 
blessing or a blight. To use a striking figure, 
let us suppose that an aged man is sick and 
destitute. A kind-hearted neighbor comes in, 
bringing him a bowl of broth and some other 
comforts. The sick man is grateful and ex- 
presses his thanks. Then his attention is directed 
to the peculiar appearance of his friend's face 
and hands. In response to his inquiry, the char- 
itable one replies : "O, yes, I 've got the small- 

44 




TRI-CITY PACKING CO., 42 1 -3-5-7 ST. LOUIS AVE. 



FEEDING THE HUNGRY 

pox. I hesitated about coming, but the disease is 
in a mild form and it is n't likely that you would 
catch it. I knew you were destitute and hungry, 
so I just came over and brought it. You know 
I like to do good deeds." 

The sick man groans : ''O, I wish you had 
stayed away. It 's bad enough to be sick and 
hungry, but I would likely have gotten over this. 
I am thankful for the broth, but it will be awful 
if I take the smallpox in addition to my other 
ailments. It will be the death of me." 

Was the man wise in his work of charity? 
I think not. 

Now, sin is as contagious as smallpox, and 
much more deadly. If what is called "charity" 
— i. e., feeding the hungry — is a means (whether 
intentional, or not) of leading souls into sin, then 
the ''charit}^" brought a blight, a curse, instead 
of a blessing. 

In the case of the man with the smallpox, the 
authorities, if the}^ knew it, would forbid him. 
to go near the sick man's house. They would 
take the sick one to the contagious hospital or 
''pest house" and detain him, forcibly, if neces- 
sary. They would forbid his friend visiting him 
or taking him the broth. Are the authorities, 
then, opposed to charity? No. They are op- 
posed to the spread of smallpox. They desire 
that charitable work be done, but they demand 
that those who would do such work be free from 
physical contagion. Our plea is that "charitable 

47 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

work" be done by those who are spiritually clean, 
free from the contagion of sin, lest the charitable 
one leave a greater curse than the one he came 
to relieve. 

Let us tell you a story in two chapters, or 
rather, two stories in one chapter. These stories 
are true, and oft repeated. Time, place, persons, 
and materials may differ, but these stories remain 
true to life. 

One bitter cold day in mid-winter a friend 
came to Mr. Smith with the information that 
a poor widow, with four helpless little children, 
in a certain part of the cit3^ was destitute and 
suft'ering. Would he please help them? 

'Tndeed I will. You know that is right in 
my line. I delight to help the worthy poor. 
Folks give me a pretty hard name — and perhaps 
I deserve much of it ; I '11 not deny that I 'm 
not what I ought to be — but I 'm not all bad. 
I have some bad habits, I know, but the fact is, 
I 'm as good or better than most of your Church 
members. Of course Jones, over there, is an 
exception. He 's one Church member that is a 
real Christian. He '11 help a family in distress, 
just as quick as I will — but no quicker. As for 
the others, the whole bunch do precious little to 
show the Christianity they profess. It 's a case 
of 'Their large professions, and their little deeds' 
you know. But I '11 look after that family all 
right. I '11 show you that I 'm just as good a 

48 



FEEDING THE HUNGRY 

Christian at heart as Jones, or any one else, even 
if I do n't make a loud profession. Trust me 
to do the right thing. The good Lord '11 give 
me credit on His books, I reckon. Maybe that '11 
kind o' ofifset my bad deeds, eh? He says, 'Feed 
the hungry,' and all that. That 's my gospel, 
you know. The Bible says, 'Your v^orks tells 
what you are,' or something like that." 

The good lady thanked him, on behalf of the 
destitute family, for the help he had promised, 
and went on her way to secure assistance for 
others. 

Down at the Tri-City Packing Co.'s store 
he selected a ham of meat, a sack of flour, a 
bushel of potatoes, and a basket of assorted 
groceries. 

Before starting, he rang up Carter Bros, and 
ordered a half-ton of coal sent to the given ad- 
dress. Then he mounted the delivery wagon 
and accompanied the driver to the widow's home. 

Sure enough, it was a real case of worthy 
charity. A poor but respectable widow was bat- 
tling bravely to provide for herself and children. 
The weather had been severe, and a week's ill- 
ness — the result of exposure — had caused their 
income to fall below the necessary expenditure, 
and so they were destitute and suffering. 

Smith — who is a jovial, big-hearted fellow — 
accompanied by the delivery boy, carried the 
supply of nourishing food into the cheerless 
room. ^g 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

The delighted mother could scarce believe 
her eyes, while the children danced with glee. 

"Just a little present for you, Mrs. Brown. 
O, never mind the thanks ; it 's a real pleasure 
to help some worthy person in a time of need. 
1 may be in need myself some time, you know. 
Then maybe some lucky fellow '11 help me. Fine 
children you 've got there ! Hope you '11 all enjoy 
the stuf¥ ; it 's from the Tri-City, and you know 
they handle the best. O, I would n't cry — though 
I know it 's tears of joy. Old Smith ain't such 
a bad fellow, after all — eh? Well, good-bye, and 
good luck to you." 

The wagon rattles away, and Smith confides 
to the delivery boy that, "After all, it makes a 
fellow feel better to do a good turn to some one 
now and then." 

Back in the home a pious mother sits in tears, 
but they are indeed tears of joy. The load of 
coal has arrived, and a cheerful fire sends its 
warm glow through the room. The hungry 
mother sips her delicious cup of coffee, between 
bites of wholesome bread and butter, while half- 
starved children are "spreading desolation" 
through the various dishes of that "best supper 
we ever had." 

After supper the mother takes down the well- 
worn Bible. Turning to the Thirty-seventh 
Psalm, her heart flutters with a deeper gratitude 
than she had known as she reads, "Trust in the 
Lord and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the 

50 



FEEDING THE HUNGRY 

land, and verily thou shalt be fed." In her 
prayer she thanks God for the food, and prays 
His blessing upon their new-found friend. 

The two little girls and the baby boy are soon 
fast asleep, but little Robbie, aged ten, is wide 
awake. Thoughts too old for a childish brain 
trouble him. The stern realities of life have pre- 
maturely aged him. 

''Mamma, that was awful good of Mr. Smith 
to bring us all them good things — wasn't it?" 

"Yes, Robbie, it certainly was good of him," 
the mother answers gratefully, yet with a 
mother's instinct she realizes that deeper 
thoughts are back of this self-evident remark. 

''Mamma, in your prayer you thanked God 
for that food; now, did God send it or not?" 

"Yes, Robbie, for the Bible says, 'Every good 
gift is from the Lord.' " 

"I know it does ; but is Mr. Smith a Chris- 
tian?" 

"Why do you ask that question?" 

"Well, I saw him up-town the other day, and 
he was n't talkin' much like a Christian. He was 
standin' on the street corner, talkin' to another 
man about the election, an' he was swearin' aw- 
ful. Now, if he 's a Christian, then it ain't wrong 
to swear, like you tell me it is. And if he ain't 
no Christian, then why did he bring us them 
things? I bet he just brung 'em himself. I 
do n't believe God sent 'em at all !" 

"O, no, Robbie ; now listen. You know a mer- 

51 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

chant may be a good man — a real good, honest, 
Christian man; and you may buy some goods 
from him, and he may send a real bad boy to 
deliver them. In that case it was a bad boy 
who brought the goods, but it was a good man 
who sent them. Now, that 's the way some of 
our blessings come : God sends them, but some- 
times it is not a good, Christian man who brings 
them. I think Mr. Smith must be a very gen- 
erous, kind-hearted man ; I 'm sorry to hear that 
he swears so. When you get to be a man, Rob- 
bie, I do n't want you to swear ; I want you to 
be a good, true, Christian man." 

"But, mamma, if God sent them things, then 
why did n't He send them by one of His own 
servants? not by some one who is a servant of the 
Evil One — I have heard you say that all people 
are, who are not Christians. It seems to me that 
if it had been God's present, He would have sent 
some Christian with it. But if Mr. Smith just 
brought it himself, then we ought to thank him — 
not God." 

"Well, Robbie, let 's not talk about it any 
more. You have had a good supper, so run to 
bed. Maybe some time, when you get older, you 
will -understand it better." 

He kissed his mother, like the dear, loving 
son he was. and went to bed — but not to sleep. 
For a long time he lay pondering over this new 
problem. Finally, with a decisive toss, he said, 
beneath his breath : "Mother do n't know. 

52 



FEEDING THE HUNGRY 

When I get to be a man I '11 not go to church — 
Mr. Smith do n't, and I 'm not going to be a 
Christian. I 'm going to stand on the street 
corner and cuss and swear ; and I 'm going to 
drink and smoke and gamble, just like he does; 
and then I 'm going to send good things to the 
poor folks when they are cold and hungry ; Mr. 
Smith does, and I'm going to be like him. 
Mother is good, but she do n't understand. No 
Christian for me !" 

Away into the long hours of the night the 
anxious mother tossed restlessly upon her couch. 
Twice she arose. The first time she knelt be- 
side her own bed and poured out her soul to 
God in prayer: "Dear Lord, we were so cold 
and hungry. It was so good, dear Father, that 
Mr. Smith brought us the food and coal. We 
thank Thee, dear Father, that we are warm now ; 
and we thank Thee that we are not hungry now. 
But O, dear Lord, teach Robbie, my dear, pre- 
cious boy, that he may understand Thy ways. O, 
do not let his heart be turned away from Thee !" 

Later, as the wee, small hours came, she rose 
again. Her face was wet with tears. She crossed 
the room to the little bed where lay her darling 
boy. Somehow she felt that this would be the 
turning-point in his life. Again she kneels in 
prayer: ''Dear Lord, — O, — do not let me be un- 
grateful ; forgive me, dear Lord, if I am wrong. 
Was it best? O, Father in Heaven — was it best 
that food and comfort should come if there must 

53 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

come with them a man whose influence will turn 
my dear child to paths of sin? O, would it not 
be better for us to suffer cold and hunger and 
still have sweet peace and love to Thee, than that 
our bodies be warmed and fed and our souls be 
turned awa}^ from Thee?" 

The days and weeks passed by. When Rob- 
bie would go up-tov/n on some errand for his 
mother, he often saw Mr. Smith. He saw him 
in all the paths of sin, so flagrant in the city, 
and each time he saw him the man's influence 
led the boy he had befriended farther and farther 
away from God and from his mother's teaching. 

When he became a man, people wondered 
why he was a skeptic. One party of the gossips 
decided that, as his father was dead, and no one 
knew to the contrary, he must have been an 
unbeliever, and that his boy naturally inherited 
the disposition of his father. Others, with an 
air of superior wisdom, declared that ''environ- 
ment" was a stronger factor than ''heredity," 
hence his mother, who had been the teacher of 
his childhood days — though she appeared to be 
a mild, sweet-spirited woman — must really have 
been an awful hypocrite; and her boy, losing 
confidence in his mother's religion, had conse- 
quently lost faith in all religion. Thus the hon- 
ored dead was blasphemed, and a reproach cast 
upon the faithful Christian mother. But on the 
records of heaven it was written, "This boy's 
soul was purchased for a ham of meat, a sack of 

54 



FEEDING THE HUNGRY 

flour, a bushel of potatoes, and a basket of gro- 
ceries/' 

Do we intend this lesson to teach that it is 
wrong to do good deeds? No. But we do in- 
tend to teach that it is impossible for one to 
be a bad man and do good works. We mean to 
teach that even the good deeds which a bad man 
does only int-ensify his power for evil. 

Now for the other picture. The same day 
that Mr. Smith took the food to Mrs. Brown's, 
Mr. Jones was going on a similar mission. He 
stepped to the telephone and called: "East 2291. 
— Hello! Carter Brothers? — This is Jones; I 

want you to send a load of coal to , 

on Street, please, and send the bill to 

my office.— Yes. — Yes ; that 's right. Good-bye." 

"Now, Central, give me East 2054, please. 
Hello! Tri-City Packing Co.? — This is Jones; 
I want you to send a delivery boy down to 

— , on Street. It 's another 

charity case. Send a ham of meat, a sack of 
flour, a bushel of potatoes, and a basket of gro- 
ceries. — Yes. — Yes; that's it. Send the bill to 
me. I '11 meet your boy down there. All right. 
Good-bye." 

This home is very similar to the other one — 
an honest, industrious, worthy woman, and four 
dependent children. 

"Good evening, Mrs. White. We just 
dropped in to make you a call, and to bring you 
a little present. You know, when the Lord 

55 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

blesses me with a plenty, I think it 's a sign 
that He wants me to help somebody else. What- 
ever we can do, that is what we ought to do ; 
you see — and I think the Lord holds us re- 
sponsible. 

''Well, I appreciate your thanks, sister, but 
really you do n't owe me any. Just thank the 
Lord for it, for it is He that gave me both the 
power and the disposition to do this. Then, I 
am the one who is getting the best of the bar- 
gain, for you know He says, Tt is more blessed 
to give than to receive,' and I 've found that to 
be true. AA^ell, good-bye. The Lord bless you, 
and bless the dear children, and make them pure, 
true, Christian men and women." 

In this home, too, there are later scenes. 

"Mamma, is Mr. Jones a Christian?" 

"Yes, my boy. I do not know him very well, 
but he is surely a good. Christian man." 

"Was n't it nice of him to bring us such good 
things to eat? My! That's the best supper I 
ever had. And he sent that coal, too ; the man 
told me so w^hen I asked him who was going to 
pay for it. Do n't you remember, mamma, it 
took the last cent we had to pay for the last coal 
we got, and we did n't get a big, nice load like 
that, either. Is that the way Christians do, 



mamma 



"Yes, Jimmy, that 's the way all Christians 
should do. Sometimes they get careless, or 
selfish, or forgetful, and don't do their duty; 

56 



FEEDING THE HUNGRY 

1)iit they do n't enjoy their religions life nnless 
they do." 

"When I get big I 'm going to be a Christian, 
like Mr. Jones, and help poor folks when they 're 
cold and hungry." 

'T hope you will, and that the other children 
will, too." 

"How old do I have to get before I can be a 
Christian, mamma? O, I wish I was big right 
now !" 

"You do not have to wait, dear child. Jesus 
said, 'Suffer the little children to come unto Me, 
and forbid them not; for of such is the Kingdom 
of God.' He loves the children, and wants you to 
be Christians from childhood to old age." 

Mother and children kneel together, and from 
the i^ure, sweet lips of the children rise the 
prayers of self-consecration to the Christian life, 
and invocations of blessing upon the man who 
had given them food. They did not realize then, 
but in later years they knew, that in feeding their 
hungry bodies he had been the means of bringing 
a far greater blessing to the immortal souls which 
dwelt within those bodies. 

Upon an easy couch, in his own comfortable 
home, the man of the kind, Christian deed hums 
to himself a grand old Christian song; then, turn- 
ing to his companion, he exclaims : "Wife, this 
is one of the happiest days of my life. Truly 
' 'T is more blessed to give than to receive.' How 
good the dear Lord is to us! How richly He 

57 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

repays ns for the little good we try to do ! God 
helping me, I 'm going to do more such work." 

One day the mother says, "Jimmy, you have 
some better clothes, now ; I think you ought to 
go to Sunday school." 

"O, I do n't like to start. I do n't know any- 
body up there." 

"You '11 soon get acquainted. No doubt you 
will find some of j^our friends there, and I 'm 
sure they will be nice to you. Come, Jimmy, 
be a good boy now and start to Sunday school." 

"O, mamma !" he exclaimed, upon his return, 
'T like it up there ; and you can't guess who my 
teacher is ! It 's Mr. Jones, the man who brought 
us the good things when we were so cold and 
hungry. I 'm going every Sunday. Ain't Charlie 
big enough to go with me? And Eunice, too; 
of course, baby can't go yet. But there was a 
lady there who says they have a 'Cradle Roll' 
with the names of all the babies on it, and she 
is coming to see you and get you to put little 
Esther's name on it ; and she will bring you some 
Stmday school lessons to read, and we can have 
a little class all by ourselves, right here at home. 
I 'm going over and see if Willie and Earl and 
Harry can go next Sunday. I 'm going to be 
like Mr. Jones and go to church and teach boys 
and girls about Jesus the Savior ; and then, when 
it 's cold and stormy, I 'm going to go around 
and take poor folks some coal and a ham of meat 

58 



FEEDING THE HUNGRY 

and a sack of flour and a bushel of potatoes and 
a big basket of groceries." 

All his life long Mr. Jones had an influence 
for good over that boy, and over the other chil- 
dren of that household, and to the end of their 
days they will bless God for the gift that was 
the means of winning their hearts to God and 
their feet to the paths of righteousness. 

Are we teaching that souls can be bought for 
the Kingdom of God for the price of meat and 
potatoes? Well, hardly ; but we are teaching that 
the good deeds that a good man does increase 
his power for righteousness. We are teaching 
that the character of the man who makes the 
gift determines whether that gift will ultimately 
be a blessing or a curse to those who receive it. 

This book will be read by some such men 
as the character whom we have called "Smith." 
Some who are known as ''good-hearted men," 
charitably inclined, disposed to do ''good works," 
perhaps with the thought of "ofif-setting some of 
my bad habits." Are you such a man? Do 
not mistake my message. Do not lay down this 
book and say: "That settles it. I '11 do no more 
charity. If such gifts do more harm than good, 
I '11 stop making them." No, no, my friend. Do 
all the good you can with the money, time, and 
talent God has given you ; but as long as you are 
content to be an ungodly man, a man whose per- 
sonal influence will be degrading, rather than up- 

59 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

lifting, you will have to keep self in the back- 
ground, so that your personal influence can be 
overcome by other influences. Your good deeds 
will have to be done by proxy — /. c, through the 
Church, or some religious person or organization. 

But there is a better way — a much better way, 
and for this we plead. Give your heart and life 
to God. Be a Christian. Identify yourself with 
the Church — with the cause of God ; then let your 
good deeds multiply. The praise will then be 
given where it belongs. Men will ''see your good 
works, and glorify" — not you, nor the evil master 
you now serve, but will — "glorify your Father 
which is in heaven." 

To "Mr. Jones" let us say: "Press on with 
your good works ! Eternity alone can reveal 
how many precious souls have been brought to 
Christ by little deeds of kindness to those who 
were passing through life's dark hours." 

There are others to v/hom we fain would give 
a personal message. We mean you of that great 
company of nominal Christians, or Church mem- 
bers, who profess to be followers of Jesus, yet 
who — through carelessness, selfishness, or lack of 
faith and zeal — are permitting these God-given 
opportunities of doing good to pass by unheeded. 
You tell us you have a "hope of heaven." It 
is only a "hope," and that hope will never be 
realized. "Why call ye Me Lord, Lord, and do 
not the things that I say?" "Not every one that 
saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the 
60 



FEEDING THE HUNGRY 

Kingdom of heaven ; but he that doeth the will 
of My Father which is in heaven." 

How sad it wall be to have gone through all 
the years of life with your names on the Church 
record, deluding yourself with a false "hope of 
heaven," only to hear the sentence at last : 'T 
was an hungered, and ye gave Me no meat ; I 
was thirsty, and ye gave Me no drink; I was a 
stranger, and ye took Me not in ; naked, and ye 
clothed me not; sick, and in prison, and ye 
visited Me not. Inasmuch as ye did it not to 
one of the least of these, ye did it not to Me. 
Depart from Me, ye cursed !" 



6i 



TRADE IN EAST ST. LOUIS 

"He beheld the city and wept over it." 

"The Kingdom of heaven is like unto a mer- 
chantman." 

"Thy merchants were the great men of the 
earth." 

"And ye shall dwell with us; and the land 
shall be before you; dwell and trade ye therein, 
and get you possessions." 

"And the merchants of the earth shall weep 
and mourn — for no man buyeth their merchan- 
dise any more." 

"The Kingdom of heaven is as a man travel- 
ing into a far country, who called his own serv- 
ants and delivered unto them his goods. Unto 
one he gave five talents, to another two, and 
to another one ! to every man according tO' his 
several ability." 

The words "trade," "buy," "sell," "business," 
etc., are found in the Bible three hundred and 
fifty-seven times. The verses in which they are 
quoted would form an essay much longer than 
this sermon. The great men of the Bible, from 
Moses down, speak much of money, trade, and 
kindred topics. 

Of course, East St. Louis is not mentioned in 
the Bible, but it probably would have been if 
it had been in existence at that time. But this 
city is much like other cities, in most respects, 

62 




o 
Pi 

w 

o 
u 

CO w 
W o 



X o 



TRADE IN EAST ST. LOUIS 

and "cities" are mentioned in Holy Writ one 
thousand three hundred and seven times. 

The problem of the city is the greatest prob- 
lem of our present-day civilization. The people 
from the rural districts are flocking to the cities. 
The immigrants from foreign countries, arriv- 
ing at the rate of more than a million a year, 
are centering in the cities. The problems of 
finance, government, morals, and religion are be- 
coming each day more acute. The greatest busi- 
ness sagacity, the firmest and most efficient 
powers of government, the highest ideals of 
morals, and the most consecrated and aggressive 
piety become more and more necessary. The 
city presents a field of activity w^hich should be 
ja. challenge to combat for every right-minded 
man and w^oman. 

We are concerned in the w^elfare of every city 
in our fair land — every loyal, patriotic American 
citizen is. But most of all, we are concerned in 
East St. Louis — every good citizen of our city 
should be. 

The slogan of our leading clothier is, "Trade 
in East St. Louis." 

Why? The question is a natural and a legiti- 
mate one. Why should we trade in East St. 
Louis? Why not trade in some other city? Why 
not patronize the mail-order house? Are there 
reasons for trading here? If so, what are they? 

The merchant replies, "It pays to trade in 
East vSt. Louis." He also declares that this is 
s 65 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

"Where the good clothes come from." It re- 
mains for us to remind you that the merchants 
of our home city return a large proportion of 
their receipts to the channels of circulation here 
in our midst by paying rents, taxes, clerk hire, 
etc. It might be well for us to remember, also, 
that our merchants do much voluntarily for the 
support of our Churches, schools, and all benevo- 
lent institutions. 

Some of the Churches of our city would be 
compelled to close their doors if the merchants 
withdrew their support. How would the work 
of our hospitals be crippled if the business men 
did not come to the rescue? What would be- 
come of our Provident Association, our Y. M. 
C. A., our Y. W. C. A., and all other such splen- 
did services, were it not for the support of the 
business men? The business men have made 
possible the support of this author and the pub- 
lication of this book. If we preachers did not 
receive any better support from the merchants 
than they receive from some of the readers of 
this book, we would have to go out of business, 
or at least seek "greener fields and pastures new." 

This support of the Churches by the business 
men is as it should be. Most thoughtful business 
men, I suppose, realize the fact that the very 
conditions which make it possible for them to do 
business in any community were brought about 
by the Church. 

What man would undertake to conduct a 
66 



TRADE IN EAST ST. LOUTS 

business institution among the Digger Indians, 
who dig their dinners out of an ant-hill, and 
clothe themselves for forty cents a year? But 
let the Church send her missionaries there; let 
these be converted to a different mode of life. 
Now they want clothes — that 's the clothier's op- 
portunity. They want houses — send on your 
carpenters. When the house is built, the furni- 
ture dealer gets his orders for goods. Schools, 
Churches, business houses spring up ; govern- 
ment is organized — perhaps we could send them 
a few mayors, aldermen, and police chiefs ; we 
seem to have a superfluity of that kind of ma- 
terial. 

All business enterprises follow in the wake 
of the Church, and are, to a very great degree, 
dependent upon the Church for the conditions 
which make their business possible. How much 
business did our Nation do with Japan, China, 
India, Africa, Hawaii, and other such countries 
a generation ago? Practically none. Then the 
missionaries went to those benighted peoples 
with their messages of life, light, and civilization. 
The Church paid their way. How much business 
do we do with these people now? Millions of 
dollars per year. Then, why should not every 
business man support the Church? They should. 
And why should not w^e, in turn, support the 
business men? We should. Our interests are 
mutual. The All-wise Ruler of the universe evi- 
dently so planned it. 

67 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

Now, if these general propositions concern- 
ing* the interdependence of business and religion 
be true, then the specific proposition of the inter- 
dependence of the Church of East St. Louis and 
the business of East St. Louis must also be 
true. 

How important, then, that we learn to help 
each other and — laboring each in his own sphere 
— by our united efifort advance East St, Louis to 
a foremost place in business, educational, moral, 
and religious circles. 

What a field is presented for Christian service 
in the city of East St. Louis ! What greater field 
for religious activity could any one wish? Here 
are presented all the problems which the Church 
anywhere is called upon to solve. Here are the 
good and the bad, the wise and the ignorant, the 
virtuous and the vicious. 

The children are here. Children by the scores 
and hundreds. What shall be their future? The 
forces of good and evil are contending for them. 
Every attraction the mind of man, inflamed by 
the spirit of evil, can possibly devise, is here 
being put forth to draw the childish feet into 
the paths of sin. Children under ten years of 
age are more familiar with the paths of sin than 
their parents were at forty, or than their grand- 
parents ever were. Smoking, chewing, drinking, 
swearing. Sabbath-breaking, dancing, card-play- 
ing, gambling, licentiousness and vulgarity of 
every kind and degree are flaunted in the face 

68 



TRADE IN EAST ST. LOUIS 

of the child every day. The peril to childhood 
is appalling'. O ye who would do business for 
the Kingdom of God, get busy ! The call is 
urgent ! The sacred precincts of childhood must 
be kept clean. O, that the whole Church — the 
whole city — were awakened to a realization of 
our duty to childhood ! Our Lord will hold us 
responsible for their training, whether it be good 
or bad. "Whoso shall receive one such little 
child in My name receiveth Me ; but whoso shall 
ofifend one of these little ones which believe in 
Me, it were better for him that a millstone were 
hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned 
in the depths of the sea." 

The poor and the needy are here. Not the 
professional "bum" — the authorities should take 
him in hand. St. Paul had a prescription for 
him : "This we commanded you, that if any 
man would not work, neither should he eat." 
Let him "earn his bread by the sweat of his 
brow." If he will not do an honest day's work 
of his own volition, put him on the rock-pile. 
But the poor — the honest, honorable poor — to 
them we have a mission. The invitation, "Come, 
ye blessed, inherit the King'dom prepared for 
you," is promised to those who feed the hungry 
and care for the destitute. There is plenty of 
such "business" to do in our city. 

The aged, the sick, the suffering are here. 
What are you doing, brother, for them? You 
who are enjoying youth, health, and strength, are 

69 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

you using them in loving ministry to those de- 
pendent ones? 

The strangers and homeless ones are here. 
Young men, young Avomen, and those of older 
years, whose daily bread must be earned in our 
shops, factories, or offices — do they find a wel- 
come in our Churches, homes, and social gath- 
erings? Or do we force them, by our pride, cold- 
ness, or exclusiveness, to find their companions 
in the gaming-houses or other places of degrad- 
ing amusements? 

The foreigners are here. Shall they learn 
their ideals of Americanism from the profane 
and abusive "bosses" at the industrial plants 
where they work? From the "ward-heeler," who 
instructs them in the vicious practices of the 
demagogue? And from the saloon and dive- 
keepers, who are intent upon debauching char- 
acter for a cash consideration? Or shall the 
Christian citizen be awake and "doing business" 
for God and righteousness by furnishing them 
the means of learning the better side of life in 
this glorious land of liberty? 

Many other problems there are. The records 
of graft and of crime make one grow sick at 
heart. We stagger at the task set before us, but 
by God's grace it can, it must be done. 

We extend our hand in congratulation to the 
business men, who have done and are doing so 
much for the financial prosperity of our city. 
We will help you all we can. We ask you to 
help us. 70 



TRADE IN EAST ST. LOUIS 

Shall we of the Church be as aggressive, wise, 
and persistent in our work as the merchants are 
in theirs? If so, a better day will dawn. 

When Jesus beheld the city of Jerusalem He 
wept over it. Well might every follower of His 
weep over our city. But He did more than 
that. He taught in the temple, on the streets, 
and by the wayside. He blessed and helped 
every needy one who came within His reach. 
He suffered shame and reproach that He might 
exalt others. He died to redeem them. My 
brother, is your time, your talent, your life being 
given for the redemption of the lost of our city? 



71 



" 'THE WORLD MOVES'— SO DO WE" 

"In Him we live, and move, and have our 
being-." 

"Therefore, the Lord God sent him forth from 
the Garden of Eden to till the ground from 
vv^hence he was taken." 

"Come thou and all thy house into the ark; 
for thee have I seen righteous before Me in this 
generation." 

"Every place that the sole of your foot shall 
tread upon, that have I given you. ... Be 
strong and of a good courage." 

The sign from which we draw our lesson 
to-day has a particular significance in the matter 
of home-seeking. 

How many families there are who are going 
to move ! Moving-vans everywhere ! Laborers 
hastening to and fro ! Teams and auto-trucks 
busy hauling goods ! Moving ! Moving ! Mov- 
ing ! 

Why? Over and over comes the question. 
Why? ' 

In general, we may reply, "Because this life 
is a life of change. 'The world moves — So do 
we.' " 

How rapidly changes take place ! The man 
who is gone from our city for one year is sur- 

72 



i 


i^^^#^ 


.f>y&^ 


m 




^L ~^-"^ ^"^A^^'^^^^B 




'"'^'^is^"'"'''^ 



THE WORLD MOVES, SO DO CARTER BROTHERS. 



THE WORLD MOVES— SO DO WE 

prised at the changes to be noted on his return. 
One who is absent ten 3^ears feels almost as if 
he were in a strange city. 

Much of this change is due to a healthy, 
natural growth. The cit}^ is larger. Suburbs 
have been added. Old, antiquated buildings give 
place to new and modern ones. The city moves, 
moves on to a fuller development. And we are 
glad. But what of the individual families who 
are going to move? 

Perhaps each household has its own reason. 
We think of a few. 

One family must move because of its in- 
creased numbers and needs. The boys and girls 
are growing up. They wish rooms of their own, 
where they ma}^ place such furniture and decora- 
tions as they may desire. They may wish occa- 
sionally to entertain a friend. They must have 
more room. Then, there are other little children 
Avho haA^e come into the family circle. These 
have taken the places of those who are growing 
older. More room, more room. We must move. 

Another family is growing smaller. Some of 
the children have grown and gone. Gone to 
found homes of their own. Others have died. 
They need no earthly home now. Their rooms 
are vacant. Father and mother are growing old. 
The big house is a burden. A more modest home 
is wanted. They, too, must move. 

Success or failure in business accounts for 
many moves. This man has prospered. His 

75 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

family will move up on the avenue. The other 
has failed. Less costly apartments must be 
sought. Health conditions cause others to move. 
Ventilation, drainage, environment are important 
considerations. If they are not good — better 
move. Some parents move to secure better edu- 
cational advantages for their children. Others, 
that they may be more convenient to their work. 
Still others, because of undesirable neighbors. 
These and many other reasons prompt the ques- 
tion, "Had we better move?" 

As we ponder these considerations, a deeper 
significance to the question dawns upon us. 

Some move upward. 

Some move downward. 

This is not strange; it has always been thus. 

Adam and Eve were created pure and good. 
Their home was the Garden of Eden. They were 
surrounded with every comfort, every luxury. 
But they disobeyed God. They sinned. They 
fell. They forfeited God's favor. They hid them- 
selves from His presence. They made them- 
selves unfit for His company. 

Then God told them to move. To move out 
of Eden. Out into the world, which, for their 
sin, was cursed. Out from the beautiful flowers 
and fruitful trees; into a land of briars and 
thorns. Out of ease, comfort, and luxury ; into 
toil, labor, and pain. Out from fellowship with 
God; into conflict with devils. Nor did the evil 
stop there. The next generation produced a 

76 



THE WORLD MOVES— SO DO WE 

murderer. Cain slew his brother. A few more 
generations and the race is so vile God has to 
destroy it. 

It is ever thus. Sin against God, and separa- 
tion from Him works disastrously to ourselves, 
to our children, and to the race. 

But, thank God for deliverance ! Even in the 
Garden the promise of the Savior is given, ''He 
shall bruise the serpent's head." The race shall 
be redeemed! 

God prepares for it. Noah and his family 
are saved from the flood. Abraham is called 
from the midst of idolatry to found a nation 
that shall fear God and serve Him. Though 
afflictions, sorrows, and oppressions be their lot, 
they shall yet be free ! 

The Israelites, under Moses, moved upward. 

They had been in bondage. Perhaps it was 
better so. They had learned lessons of God. 
But now they were ready to serve Him. 

So God told them to move. To move out 
of Egypt, into Canaan. Out of bondage, into 
freedom. Out of oppression, into possession. 
Out of the land of ''brick and mortar," into the 
land "flowing with milk and honey." 

It is ever thus. When, through affliction, 
oppression, or suffering, we have learned that it 
is best to serve God. He leads us to a "promised 
land." The psalms of deliverance are the fit 
expression of our hearts, as they were of theirs. 

Reader, have you been delivered? Is free- 

17 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

dom and righteousness and peace with God 
yours ? 

Man is more than an animal. He needs more 
than food and shelter. There is a mind to culti- 
vate, morals to develop, a soul to save. 

Are you living in ignorance? 

Better move. Move over into intelligence. 
It will require some effort, some inconvenience, 
some labor. You Avill haA^e to ''break up house- 
keeping" on the present plan. You must pro- 
vide some new equipment for your new quarters. 
You may have to leave the old circle of ac- 
quaintances and companions behind. But it will 
pay. The price may be higher, but the living 
will be better. 

"Knowledge is power," said a wise man. 

"Learn of Me," entreated Jesus. 

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of 
wisdom," declared the psalmist. 

O, young men, young women — move ! 

Move out of ignorance ! 

Move into intelligence ! 

Are you living in sin? Better move! Move 
over into righteousness. The homes are cleaner, 
healthier, more beautiful. The carpets of deceit 
will not be needed to cover the floors of cleanli- 
ness. The couches of lust will not be allowed 
in the home of purity. The mugs and bottles 
of the old life will have no place in the home 
of temperance. Leave behind you all that is bad. 
Bring with you all that it good — but it might be 

78 



THE WORLD MOVES— SO DO WE 

well to have it thoroughly fumigated. W^e want 
no taint of sin remaining-. Let the fire from 
off God's altar melt away the dross, burn up 
the chaff, refine the ore. Bring all that is good — 
but bring it clean. Spread not the contagion of 
sin among the habitations of righteousness. 

Bring the children. Leave them not in the 
old life. God loves the children. There are no 
signs on His palaces, "No children allowed." 
Jesus says, "Suffer the little children to come 
unto Me, and forbid them not, for of such is the 
Kingdom of God." Yes, by all means bring the 
children. Bring them now. Do n't live with 
them in sin till they are grown and gone, and 
then, in your old age and alone, seek the King- 
dom of God. Come now. Come, and bring the 
whole family. 

Invite your friends and neighbors to come 
with you. There is room enough for all, and 
for all a welcome. "Whosoever will, may come," 
rings the invitation. "Him that cometh unto 
Me, I will in no wise cast out," is His precious 
promise. 

O brother, move ! 

Move out of sin ! Move into righteousness ! 

God's plans for us are progressive. He does 
not intend for us to stand still. Neither does He 
intend for us to move backward and downward. 
His command, as of old, is, "Speak to the chil- 
dren of My people that they go forward." So 
should it ever be. We hear much of the "happy 

79 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

days of childhood," and it should be so. Dark, 
indeed, the day for our race if childhood ceases 
to be a happy time. Dark indeed that life which 
kne.w no childhood happiness. 

But is only childhood happy? It is a sad 
commentary on any life to hear one continually 
talking of childhood's happy days, as though 
they were the only happy days he ever knew. 
It may be so, but it should not be. God did 
not so design it. It is clearly the purpose of 
our loving Father that life should grow better 
with passing years. ''The path of the just is 
as the shining light, that shineth more and more 
unto the perfect day." He intends that every 
move we make shall be a move for the better. 

"E'en down to old age, all My people shall prove 
My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love ; 
And when hoary hairs shall their temples adorn. 
Like lambs they shall still in My bosom be 
borne." 

Thank God for a sweet old age ! How those 
dear old grandparents, with snowy locks and 
loving eyes, speak to us of the precious lessons 
of life ! Their very presence is a benediction. 

Then comes the last move. Not a furniture 
van now. A hearse for the body. A chariot of 
glory for the soul. 

O, blessed moving-time ! 



80 




"here is your laundry. 



CLEANLINESS 

*'Be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the 
Lord." 

"I came not to call the righteous, but sinners 
to repentance." 

''What are these that are arrayed in white 
robes — and whence came they? . . . These are 
they which came out of great tribulation and 
have washed their robes and made them white 
in the blood of the Lamb." 

"Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away 
the sin of the world !" 

Soiled garments are gathered up, sent to the 
laundry, and returned clean. 

The work of the Church is to gather in the 
soiled, sinful, polluted souls of men, and make 
them clean. 

What would you think of a laundryman who 
would direct his servants to go through the com- 
munity, visit the cleanest and most respectable 
homes, secure their choicest, cleanest garments, 
and bring them to his laundry, place them m the 
windows, and show them off to the passers-by, 
that he might receive their praise for the finest 
and cleanest of service? 

Would it not seem ridiculous? Would he 
not soon be branded as a fraud, and only patron- 
ized by those who loved display and despised 
real service? 

83 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

The analogy may seem severe, but does it 
not suggest to us the condition of many 
Churches? Is there not a tendency, especially 
on the part of those who regard themselves as 
somewhat aristocratic, to seek to gather patron- 
age from the homes of those whom they regard 
as most respectable, and disdain the very ones 
whom Jesus died to save? 

We hear much of the alienation of the masses 
from the Church. We hear especially of the 
estrangement of the laboring classes. I know 
that much of such talk is untrue. I know, from 
twenty years of experience and observation in 
the ministry, that the very bone and sinew of 
many of our best Churches are the laboring men. 

But, alas ! one must be blind indeed to live 
in an industrial center, like this city, and not 
grow sick at heart as he beholds the thousands 
of laboring- men who are not members nor even 
attendants of any Church, and whose families 
are growing up unschooled in the services of 
the Church and strangers to Christ the Savior. 

We ask why, and then content ourselves with 
blaming the city authorities, the saloons, and 
places of amusement. No doubt these and many 
other agencies are more or less to blame. But 
it is so easy to put the blame on some one else. 
It is more comfortable to shift the responsibility 
to the shoulders of another than to bear it our- 
selves. But is not this very tendency to shun 
the vile and unclean, and to seek only the cleaner 

84 



I 



CLEANLINESS 

and more respectable people as attendants of 
our houses of worship, a confession of our weak- 
ness and unfitness for the service of soul-saving? 
Does not this fact account in large measure for 
the lack of confidence on the part of the sinful 
world? And does not this lack of confidence 
account for the alienation of the masses? I know 
these are pointed questions. I expect they will 
be distasteful to many; but do they not point 
out a real condition which should be remedied? 

We think and talk much of the purity and 
sweetness of childhood — and well we may. O, 
that we all were as pure and innocent as the child ! 
A'Vhen Jesus would give the purest example to 
His followers, He took a little child and set it in 
their midst. He wanted them to be converted 
and become clean and pure, like the little child. 

But the people to whom He was talking were 
not pure. And those to whom we are writing 
are not pure. This is a busy, toilsome world; 
and toil means sweat and grime. These con- 
ditions must be met by the workers. He can not 
deal in ideals only. He must meet stern facts. 
He can not live in a bandbox if he would earn 
an honest living and be of service to his fellow- 
men. Men must labor, and garments must get 
soiled. The laundry meets the problem of the 
garments. The Church must solve the problem 
of the souls. Men and women must mingle with 
the sinful world. Sin is contagious. Smut rubs 
off. Contamination spreads. We have occasion 

8s 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

to pray each day — not only, "give lis our daily 
bread," but "forgive us our trespasses." 

We are not condoning sin. Sin is vile, hid- 
eous, awful. Sin "drowns men in destruction 
and perdition." vSin crucified the Savior. No 
apology can make sin acceptable. No gilding 
can make sin respectable. Sin is as vile in a 
palace as in a hut : as hateful in the sight of God 
up on the avenue as down in the alley. But 
we are talking of the work of the Church and of 
Christian people. We are comparing it to the 
work of the laundry. It is the business of the 
Church to make vile folks clean. If it does not 
do this it is useless. It may contribute some- 
thing toward education, culture, or charity. 
Other societies or organizations can do that. To 
the Church is committed the task of saving the 
lost. Jesus said, "I came not to call the right- 
eous, but sinners, to repentance." "The Son of 
man is come to seek and to save that which was 
lost." Then He says to His disciples, "As the 
Father sent Me into the world, even so have I 
also sent you into the world." Unto us — His 
servants. His brethren — is committed the work 
He begun of bringing the sinful world back to 
God and righteousness. 

The laundryman does not wait for the people 
to come, bringing their soiled garments. He 
goes — or sends — for them. 

We often complain that people do not attend 
Church. Would not every Church be filled if its 
86 



CLEANLINESS 

managers and agents were as busy gathering in 
lost souls as the lainidryman is in gathering the 
soiled garments? Would it not be a wonderful 
spectacle to see the Church send out its wagons, 
carriages, and automobiles to bring the people 
to the services? Do not even the politicians so — 
on election day? Is not the worship of God as 
important as the election of an official? or as the 
cleansing of foul garments? 

We often hear the complaint that the work 
of the Church must be done over and over. A 
drunkard is picked up out of the gutter. The 
Church prays for him. God forgives him. He 
starts well. His family see happier days. His 
creditors receive their pay. His boss sees that 
he does better work, so he gives him a better 
job. He attends Church. The prospect is bright. 
But one day an old companion greets him : "J^'^st 
one glass, for old times' sake." He falls. 

What shall the Church do? Give him up? 
Shun him? Heave a gentle sigh, and say: "Well, 
poor fellow ! I knew he would n't hold out long. 
It's just what I expected?" 

Alas, how often 'tis so! "It's so much 
trouble to be always looking up such people. 
AVhy, we 've started him over and over again, 
and he falls every time ! Next Board meeting 
I 'm going to recommend that he be dropped 
from the roll." 

What would you think of the laundryman if 
he called in his agent and said: "You needn't 

87 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

call for Smith's laundry any more. We 've 
washed their old garments over and over, and 
they will get them soiled again. Last week they 
were just as dirty as ever. I 'm getting tired 
of it. Why can't they keep their clothes clean? 
Do n't call there any more" — would not that 
man soon go out of business? Would he not 
deserve to fail? 

The pride of the laundry is not in the soiled 
garments it receives, but in the clean, finished 
product which it returns to the owner. 

So the glory of the Church is not in the vile 
men and women it picks up, but in the redeemed 
souls it sends singing home to God. 

Montaign says, "He who should teach men 
to die would, at the same time, teach them to 
live." W^ith equal truth we can say : He who 
would prepare men to live would, at the same 
time, prepare them to die. A pure life need 
fear no death. A clean soul will be welcome in 
glory. 

And remember, a clean soul is not necessarily 
one who has never sinned, but one who has been 
redeemed; a soul once vile, but now made clean. 

In that wonderful vision of St. John's which 
we call "Revelation" we read this question and 
answer : "What are these which are arrayed in 
white robes? and whence came they? And he said 
to me, These are they which came out of great 
tribulation, and have washed their robes and 
made them white in the blood of the Lamb." 



CLEANLINESS 

Washed robes ! Then they once were soiled ! 

Do these words meet the eye of a lost, sinful 
man or woman? Dear soul, take heart. There 
is cleansing for you. Jesus came to save. Give 
Him your heart. Lie '11 make it clean. 

Our lesson is taken from the Model Laundry. 
Model of what? Model of cleanliness, whiteness, 
purity. 

The Church should be a model : a model of 
cleanliness, whiteness, purity. A model of faith, 
devotion, and good works. 

Brother, you may not be able to regulate or 
even stimulate the whole Church, but you can 
heed the advice Paul gave to Timothy and ''show 
thyself a pattern of good works." 



89 



THE WHITE HEARSE 

"A little child shall lead them." 

"She was his only child; besides her he had 
neither son nor daughter." 

''Is it well with thee? is it well with thy 
husband? Is it well with thy child? And she 
answered, 'It is well.' " 

"And the streets of the city shall be full of 
boys and girls, playing in the streets thereof." 

There is no more lonesome spot on earth 
than a childless home. Alas ! that so many mod- 
ern homes are voluntarily childless. In olden 
days the childless woman felt herself to be a 
reproach ; and the days are surely coming again 
when the awfulness of the sentence shall be 
reailzed, as in the days of Jeremiah, "Thus saith 
the Lord: 'Write ye this man childless.'" 

No love was ever awakened in a woman's 
heart like the love of a mother for her babe. 
No experience of life ever thrilled a true, manly 
heart and caused him to rise to the greatest 
heights of manhood like the experience of gaz- 
ing into the face of an infant and saying, "This 
is my child." The life of a woman is never com- 
plete which lacks the experience of motherhood ; 
neither is that man a complete man to whom 

90 



THE WHITE HEARSE 

has not come the glory of fatherhood. The 
sweetest joys of earth are inseparably united 
to the thought of childhood. All of purity, in- 
nocence, and joy find expression in the person 
of the little child. Even the brutes love their 
little ones. To what depths have those humans 
fallen who do not love children ! 

Thank God ! the better days are coming when 
again shall be heard the pleading of devout Han- 
nahs as they pray for a child, or the heart-break- 
ing cry of a Rachel, "Give me children, or I die." 

Life would not be worth living without little 
children ; and of all the children in the world, 
there are none like our very own. Blood of 
our blood ; flesh of our flesh ; our features, but 
with brighter light and softer glow ; our minds, 
our hearts, our souls, blended and reproduced in 
miniature, to grow and develop till far exceed- 
ing ours. Blessed childhood ! God loves the 
children. So do we. They are welcome in our 
homes. They are welcome in heaven. 'T say 
unto you that in heaven their angels do always 
behold the face of My Father which is in heaven." 

At the christening of John the Baptist, when 
the people saw the wondrous works of God and 
heard the gracious words of Zacharias, the priest, 
they mari^eled and said, ''What manner of child 
shall this be?" The question might well be asked 
of your child, and of mine. 

A child is not a machine, to be wound up, 
started, and regulated like a clock. We would 

93 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

not have it so. God, in His infinite wisdom, has 
not so decreed it. But because they are not 
machines, it does not follow that parents, teach- 
ers, and ministers have no duty nor responsi- 
bility in directing them. The opposite is true. 
"Train up a child in the way he should go" is 
as imperative a duty now as in the days of the 
wise man, and the results are no- less certain. 
"What shall become of the child?" is as great 
a problem to you as to Jeroboam. It was said 
of Samson, "The child grew, and the Lord 
blessed him." So may it be with your child. 
Think of every great and good man who has ever 
risen to bless the race, and remember that he 
was once a child. Some mother held him in her 
arms as a helpless babe. Some father toiled by 
day and planned by night that he might be fed, 
clothed, educated, and prepared for a life of use- 
fulness. Think of Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley, 
our martyred Presidents. How they prized their 
childhood teachings. Hear the great Lincoln, 
who could split a log into rails — and could pre- 
vent others from splitting the Nation into splin- 
ters — of his life he said, "All that I am I owe to 
my angel mother." 

The great and good women of the world, too. 
They once were baby girls. Tiny, helpless crea- 
tures, nursed and protected by loving parents 
through dependent years. 

The great and good men and women of com- 
ing years are now nestling in the arms of some 

94 



THE WHITE HEARSE 

obscure but loving mother whom all coming gen- 
erations will delight to honor. Blessings upon 
the homes where little children are loved and 
cherished. Blessings upon the man and woman 
who worthily bear the proud titles "father" and 
"mother." 

No tie on earth has such power to bind two 
hearts to each other as the cords that are drawn 
by a baby's hands. Many a man has felt, what 
one has expressed : 

" 'T was hers ; 't was mine ; but I 've no language 

to express to you 
How that little girl's weak fingers our hearts 

together drew." 

Doubtless most husbands love their wives, 
and that love is reciprocated; but there is a full- 
ness of love to each other which they can not 
know till it is awakened by a baby's cry or re- 
flected in a baby's smile. Blessed mission of 
babyhood ! 

But to-night many homes are lonely, not be- 
cause no children have come, but because they 
have come — and gone. 

I speak not now of those homes where the 
children have lived to maturity and gone out 
into the world like fledgelings from the mother's 
nest. These homes are lonely, we know. But 
a letter comes now and then from "the boy that 
went away," or from the girl in yonder city. 
Sometimes, perhaps, they make visits to the old 

95 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

home, though they seem so brief and so far be- 
tween. God knows you are lonesome. May His 
presence comfort you ! 

But those to whom we fain would send love's 
tenderest messages are those from whose arms 
the little ones have taken their flight to the glory 
land — the homes to which the white hearse has 
come. 

Many Hagars, since the days of Abraham, 
have uttered the sad cry, "Let me not see the 
death of my child !" but, unlike her, the cry has 
seemed unheeded. Many a strong man, since the 
days of Reuben, has wailed : "The child is not ; 
and I: whither shall I go?" 

No tongue or pen can describe the anguish 
of a mother's heart as she sees the life of her 
precious child ebbing away and knows that she 
is powerless to prevent it. Nor can any elo- 
quence portray the storm that sweeps the breast 
of the proud, strong man who stands by her side 
and realizes, for the first time, how miserably 
weak and imbecile he is in the presence of death. 

There is but one course to take. We must 
submit. In vain do we resist. We are like the 
captive bird beating against the bars of her cage 
till her feeble strength is exhausted ; or like the 
mighty ocean, lashing in mad fury against the 
rocky cliffs till the storm has spent its power 
and the waves sink back in defeat. 

O, how dark it seems then ! Like one in a 
dream we have looked upon his last earthly rest- 

96 



THE WHITE HEARSE 

ing-place, and with breaking hearts have poured 
out love's tribute of prayers and tears. 

"When we see a precious blossom 

That we tended with such care, 
Rudely taken from our bosom, 

How our aching hearts despair ! 
Round its little grave we linger 

Till the setting sun is low. 
Feeling all our hopes have perished 

With the flower we cherished so." 

But there, in the deepest darkness of that sad 
hour, comes the voice of our Savior. He speaks 
to us the words of love and peace. He bears us 
up in His everlasting arms, and we are safe. 
The light of His Spirit breaks upon our hearts, 
and we are comforted. It has seemed evil, but 
we have learned that : 

"God never fails in an experiment. 
Nor tries experiment upon a race 
But to educe its highest style of life 
And sublimate its issues. Thus to me (this) 
Evil is not a mystery, but a means 
Selected from the infinite resource 
To make the most of me." 

Truly this is one of the severest tests to which 
any soul was ever subject. Especially is this 
true of an only child. To stand this test ; to gain 
complete victory in this hour; to be able to say 
with Job : "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath 
7 97 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord !" 
marks a very high attainment in grace. 

The climax of God's love to us is marked 
by the statement, "God so loved the world that 
He gave His only begotten Son" to redeem us 
from sin. Even the language of Holy Writ could 
Contain no stronger expression. Divine love 
could make no greater sacrifice. 

Turn to the twelfth chapter of Second Samuel 
and read again, from the sixteenth verse, of the 
death of King David's child : "David therefore 
besought God for a child ; and David fasted, and 
went in and lay all night upon the earth. And 
the elders of his house arose and went to him 
to raise him up from the earth, but he would 
not, neither did he eat bread with them. And 
it came to pass on the seventh day that the child 
died. And the servants of David feared to tell 
him that the child was dead; for, they said, 'Be- 
hold, while the child was yet alive we spake 
unto him, and he would not hearken unto our 
voice; how will he then vex himself if we tell 
him that the child is dead?' 

"But when David saw that his servants whis- 
pered, David perceived that the child was dead; 
therefore, David said unto his servants, Ts the 
child dead?' and they said, 'He is dead.' 

"Then David arose from the earth, and 
washed and anointed himself, and changed his 
apparel, and came into the house of the Lord 
and worshiped ; then he came to his own house, 

98 



THE WHITE HEARSE ' 

and, when he required, they set bread before him 
and he did eat. Then said his servants unto 
him: 'What thing is this that thou hast done? 
Thou didst fast and weep for the child while 
it was yet alive; but when the child was dead, 
thou didst rise and eat bread.' 

''And he said: 'While the child was yet 
alive I fasted and wept, for I said, Who can tell 
whether God will be gracious to me that the 
child may live? But now he is dead, wherefore 
should I fast? Can I bring him back again? 
I shall go to him, but he shall not return to 
me.' " 

What a wise and godly man ! Fasting and 
praying for the child while it lived, but when it 
was dead, bowing in sweet submission to the will 
of God, and uttering those words of perfect faith 
and trust, "He shall not return to me, but I shall 
go to him." 

After all, it might be best — it doubtless is — 
that these little ones be taken home to God in 
their days of childish innocence and purity. 

"I marvel, baby, whether it were ill 
That He who planted thee should pluck thee now 
And save thee from the blight that comes on all. 
I marvel whether it would not be well 
That the frail bud should bloom in paradise 
On the full throbbing of an angel's heart." 

Then we know that they shall be safe. O, 
precious thought to the heart-broken mother, to 
know that her little one is safe ! 

99 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

''Safe in the arms of Jesus, 

Safe from corroding care, 
vSafe from the world's temptations; 
Sin can not harm them there." 

But some mother or father will read these 
lines whose little ones have not been taken. The 
white hearse has not yet been to your door. 

Permit me, in all tenderness, a word with 
you. Do you remember to thank God that your 
children have been spared to bless your home? 
You do not know how long they will be with 
you. Why do you not prize their presence now? 

"Strange we never prize the music 

Till the sweet-voiced bird is flown ! 
Strange that we should slight the violets 

Till the lovely flowers are gone ! 
Strange that summer skies and sunshine 

Never seem one-half so fair 
As when winter's snowy pinions 

Shake the white down in the air !" 

Could those friends of yours call their little 
loved one back from the cold clay, how they 
would prize his presence ! Why should you for- 
get to be kind and loving to the dear one God 
has spared to you? The white hearse may come 
some day, and you may have many regrets as 
you look back to the days which now you do 
not appreciate. But it is not too late for you. 
Take the little one upon your knee this very 
day and tell him the sweet story of Jesus. Take 

100 



THE WHITE HEARSE 

him to the house of God and let him be conse- 
crated from childhood to the love and service 
of our blessed Christ. Love him. Cherish him. 
Lead him to the life of righteousness and to paths 
of peace. 

"If we knew the baby fingers, 

Pressed against the window-pane, 
Would be cold and stiff to-morrow — 

Never trouble us again — 
Would the bright eyes of our darling 

Catch the frown upon our brow? 
Would the prints of rosy fingers 

Vex us then, as they do now? 

"Ah, those little, ice-cold fingers ! 

How they point our memories back 
To the hasty words and actions 

Strewn along our backward track ! 
How those little hands remind us, 

As in snowy grace they lie. 
Not to scatter thorns — but roses — 

For our reaping bye and bye !" 



lOI 



THE HOUSEHOLD OF GOD 

"The Kingdom of heaven is like imto a man 
that is an householder." 

"Now, therefore, ye are no more strangers and 
foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints and 
of the household of God." 

"If they have called the Master of the house 
Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them 
of His household." 

"As we have therefore opportunity, let us do 
good unto all men, especially unto them who are 
of the household of faith." 

The Church is called "the household of God." 
An individual is not a "household." An old 
bachelor is not a family. Sometimes he "keeps 
house," and in rare cases may be justified in 
doing so; but in the majority of cases, it seems 
to me, he should be prosecuted. It should be 
against the law. Indeed, is it not "against the 
lav/" — of God? Did He not say, in the very 
dawn of creation, "It is not good that the man 
should be alone?" So He decided, "I will make 
him an helpmeet for him." Thus the family re- 
lation was established ; and God said, "Therefore 
shall a man leave his father and his mother and 
shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one 
flesh." 

1 02 



COMPLETE HOUSEHOLD FURNISHINGS. 




ZIEGENHEIN'S 



THE HOUSEHOLD OF GOD 

The idea of the ''complete household," how- 
ever, includes other persons and things. Of 
course there is a father and a mother ; there are 
also sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, 
and other relatives. Then, there are friends and 
enemies, neighbors and strangers, debtors and 
creditors; perhaps there are also servants. This 
household has also its pets and domestic ani- 
mals — the horse and cow, cat and dog; yes, and 
the song-bird in its tiny cage. This by no means 
completes the list, but these few are suggestive. 

All these, and many more, have their counter- 
part in the Church — "the household of God." 

Some of you who have been strangers to the 
household may have received mistaken impres- 
sions. You attended a Church service and were 
so disappointed that you never returned. Per- 
haps you went more than once, and each time 
met some one who fell far short of your ideal 
of what a Christian should be, so you concluded 
that no real Christianity was to be found. 

Did you ever go to a house in the city — or 
in the country — where you were a stranger? 
Perhaps as you reached the door the watch-dog 
met you. He growled and snarled in a most 
uninviting manner. Then a servant came to the 
door, but did not give you a cordial welcome. 
You did not turn away, but sent in your card 
and desired to see some member of the family. 
When you were admitted, you saw an unsightly 
old Negro woman in the hall. You did not con- 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

elude that the famil)^ were all Negroes ; she was 
only the scrub-woman, mopping up the floors. 

When you took your seat in the parlor you 
noticed a gilt cage, where a pretty bird poured 
forth its sweetest melody. You listened with de- 
light. Many other experiences you had which 
we need not here dwell upon ; but you finally 
met some of the family, and were delighted. 
Later you formed the acquaintance of others, and 
in due time became a friend — possibly an inmate 
and relative of that household. You often recall 
that first visit and recite its impressions. 

Now, compare these experiences with your 
first visit to the Church. You came to a strange 
town one Sabbath evening, and concluded you 
w^ould go to meeting. Near the door you met a 
man who did not look very pleasant, and did not 
speak to you. You wondered if all the members 
of that Church were like him. You did not 
know that he was only a servant, going about 
the duties he w^as paid to perform. 

Not far from the door sat a man with firm- 
set jaws, eyebrows drawn to a scowl, and rest- 
less, searching eyes. He growled and grumbled 
at everything and everybody. You concluded 
that if he were a fair sample of the membership, 
you did n't care to join. O, no, dear friend, he 
is only one of the watch-dogs of the household. 
Most every Church has a few. Some have too 
many. They deem it their God-appointed duty 
to growl and snarl at everything. The janitor 
1 06 



THE HOUSEHOLD OE GOD 

can iiol please them. Jf the lemperaliire varies 
a few degrees, it is "freezing' cold" or "scorching 
hot." The preacher preaches too long, or too 
loud, or not loud enough. The members slight 
them. The children are "a perfect torment" — 
they have forgotten that some one had to be 
patient with them in their childhood. The young 
people are all "going to the bad" — it really is a 
pity! "What on earth are we coming to?" 
Their wails and howls and groans are heard, 
day and night and Sunday — especially Sunday. 
We soon get used to it ; its their nature to growl. 
They enjoy it — most watch-dogs do. 

A young lady in the choir attracts your at- 
tention. AVhat a sweet voice ! Hoav the music 
thrills you ! She must be a lovely. Christian girl. 
The sermon begins. The girl in the choir gig- 
gles, chews gum, and makes "sheep's eyes" at 
the boys. When the service is over she flirts, 
and flips about in a manner that disgusts you. 
Is she the kind of Christians they have here? 
You are disappointed. Never mind. You do n't 
expect that bird in yonder cage to cook, sew, 
or write essays, do you? Its business is to sing. 
This girl is our household canary. 

Most modern flats employ a janitor. The 
rough, hard work of the place is his. He tends 
the furnace, shovels the coal, cleans the snow ofif 
the walks in winter, and mows the lawn and 
trims the hedge in summer. His clothes are 
coarse and his hands are rough, but the whole 
107 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

household are comfortable and happy because of 
his faithful service. 

Most every Church has members who are its 
spiritual janitors. I do not mean the man or 
woman who, for a price, tends to the church 
building. I refer to those plain, hard-working, 
unpretentious souls who do a thousand little 
duties which bless the whole Church and com- 
munity. They keep the spiritual atmosphere of 
the Church warm with prayer. They cool the 
fever of Church quarrels. They bear the heaviest 
burdens and do the hardest work of the Church, 
while others make a greater show and receive 
the presents and compliments. Most of their 
work is unnoticed and unrewarded ; but their 
record is kept on high. They do it for love of 
God and their fellov/-men. Their reward shall 
be a crown in glory. Was it not of such that 
the psalmist said, 'T had rather be a door-keeper 
in the house of my God, than to dwell in the 
tents of wickedness?" 

A "door-keeper?" — ''janitor" is the word now; 
"tents of wickedness" — tents? Is not "air-dome" 
the modern word? Ah, we have it! "I 'd rather 
be a janitor in the household of God, than to 
be a star-performer in the air-dome of wicked- 
ness." 

The Church — like the household — has its 
friends and its enemies. 'T was ever thus. 
Thank God for its friends. Fear not its enemies. 

The arch-enemy of the Church is the devil. 

TOS 



THE HOUSEHOLD OF GOD 

Perhaps I should have said — "was." O, how wise 
that cry, "There is no devil now!" But it raises 
some questions. 

"Men do n't believe in a devil now, 

As their fathers used to do ; 
They 've forced the door of the broadest creed 

To let his majesty through. 
There is n't a print of his cloven foot, 

Nor a fiery dart from his bow. 
To be found in earth or air to-day ; 

For the world has voted so. 

"But who is mixing the fatal draught 

That palsies the heart and brain, 
And loads the bier, each passing year, 

With a hundred thousand slain? 
Who blights the bloom of the land to-day 

With the fiery breath of hell : 
If the devil is not, and never was. 

Won't somebody rise and tell? 

"Who dogs the steps of the toiling saint. 

And digs the pit for his feet? 
Who sows his tares in the field of time 

Wherever God sows His wheat? 
The devil is voted not to be, 

So of course the thing is true; 
But who is doing the kind of work 

That the devil alone should do? 



"^^^on't somebody step to the front forthwith. 

And make his bow, and show 
How the frauds and crimes of the day spring up? 

Surely we want to know. 

109 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

The devil was fairly voted out; 

So, of course, the devil is gone : 
But simple people would like to know, 

Who carries the business on?" 

Debtors and creditors has the household of 
God. How we appreciate those kind friends who 
lend confidence, kindness, and money; yes, and 
time and talent and influence, to the Church, of 
which they themselves are not members ! We 
can not repay them fully ; yet we know that He 
who is the Head of the household will remember 
their kindness. 

Yes, dear friends of the Church : 

''He who in His righteous balance 
Doth each human action weigh, 
Will your sacrifice remember, 
Will your loving deeds repay." 

What a host of people are debtors to the 
Church ! All your life the Church has befriended 
you. Blessings untold have come to your coun- 
try, to your community, and to your family 
through the Church. You owe to the Church 
a debt you can never repay : but, friend, will 
you not at least recognize the source of these 
blessings and in some way express your grati- 
tude? Should any one do less? O, let your com- 
plaints and harsh criticisms of the Church be 
stilled, and your words of kindness and of ap- 
])reciation be heard ! 

Of relatives the "household of God" has 
no 



THE HOUSEHOLD OF GOD 

legion. Scarcely a person will read this book 
who has not some relative who is a member of 
this "household." That brother or sister of yours 
is a Christian. You acknowledge in your own 
heart the Christian virtues you see in them. 

It may be that you recall to-night an aged 
father who, like Jacob of old, "blessed his sons 
and worshiped, leaning upon the top of his staff." 
His feeble steps tottered to the grave, but the 
blessed influence of his godly life lingers still. 
Or perhaps a dear old mother, with sweet voice 
and loving heart, forms the connecting link be- 
tween you and the Church. You may be a prod- 
igal son to-night, or a wayward daughter, but 
the thought of mother still wakes within your 
heart the dying embers of all that is good in 
life. O, that the gentle breezes of memory may 
fan those embers into a holy flame which will 
burn out the sin and dross, and make your heart 
pure again ! 

Were you better acquainted with this house- 
hold, you would esteem it more highly. Most 
lovable characters are these. 

The Head of this household is God, the 
Father — shall we say Grand-Father? Grand, in 
the truest sense of the term. The "Ancient of 
Days," "The Lofty One that inhabiteth eternity." 
"God is Light." "God is Love." All the at- 
tributes of perfection center in Flini. Of Llim it 
is written, "God so loved the world that He gave 
His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth 
III 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

in Him should not perish, but have everlasting 
life." Is not such a Father worthy of your love 
and service? Do you not wish to become a mem- 
ber of His household? 

His Son is our Savior. The Prince of Glory 
came to earth to win your soul from sin and to 
make you a child of God. This Son, equal with 
God the Father in power, glory, and majesty, 
lays aside His royal robes and comes *'to seek 
and to save that which was lost." Down into 
the mire of sin He wades, where souls grope in 
darkness. Sad, suffering, dying, the Son of God 
calls to a lost and sinful world. He 's calling 
you! Will you come? 

The Scriptures tell us that the Church is the 
bride of Christ. Not one single individual, but 
that great body, composed — as our bodies also 
are — of a great number of individual members, 
and possessed by one all-pervading Spirit — this 
body — this Church — is the bride of Christ. 

Christ loved the Church — she is His bride ; 
we also love the Church — she is our mother; 
for of this union of Christ and the Church we, 
His sons and daughters, are born. 

What a goodly company are these brothers 
and sisters of the "household of God !" The 
patriarchs, prophets, priests, and kings ; the 
apostles, saints, and mart3^rs, of all lands and 
of all ages are they. Some in heaven ; some on 
earth. Call the roll of earth's wisest and best, 

112 



THE HOUSEHOLD OE GOD 

earth's purest and holiest ; and remember that 
these are the elder brothers and sisters of this 
household, who have reached their majority be- 
fore us and have passed up from the kindergarten 
in which we still tarry for our first spiritual les- 
sons and have entered into that larger sphere 
of activity to which our Father soon will call us. 
They still are our brothers and sisters, and ever 
shall be. 

St. John, in his wonderful vision on the Isle 
of Patmos, in describing one of them, says : "Then 
I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said 
unto me, See thou do it not ; I am thy fellow- 
servant and of thy brethren that have the testi- 
mony of Jesus." O, those brethren of ours ! We 
fain would fall at their feet to worship ; but anon 
we hear them say : "Do it not. Worship God !" 

Once they trod the path we are now treading. 
Once they met the battles and conflicts of the 
world that now are ours. They, too, were "de- 
spised and rejected of men." The tongue of 
slander reproached them. The liars and vipers 
of their day poured out their filth and poison 
upon them. The eleventh chapter of Hebrews 
stirs our blood to the boiling point as it por- 
trays their treatment. "That old serpent, the 
devil," was as active then as now, but "they 
overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by 
the word of their testimony; and they loved not 
their lives unto the death." 

8 113 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

The members of that household are gather- 
ing in the home eternal. The circle soon will 
be complete. To-da}^ is for us the day of toil 
and of trial ; but to-morrow we too shall raise 
the victor's cry. Our robes shall yet be white ! 
The palms of victory shall soon be ours ! 



114 







^^f^f 'T^'-^-^lr^ 






^'^'€>t"^5^''^'.-^j^^^f 



^1 



BUY A LOT; AND BUILD A HOME. — Sextou and Co. 



"BUY A LOT AND BUILD A HOME" 

''By grace are ye saved, through faith, and 
that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God." 

"Other foundation can no man lay than that 
is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man 
build upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious 
stones, wood, hay, stubble ; every man's work 
shall be made manifest, for the day shall declare 
it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the 
fire shall try every man's work, of what sort it 
is. If any man's work abide which he hath built 
thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any 
man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss ; 
but he himself shall be saved ; yet so as by fire." 

How precious are the homes of earth ! 
Whether it be, 

"The scenes of my childhood. 
When fond recollections present them to view," 

or the home of young manhood, where a beauti- 
ful, blushing bride was installed as queen, or the 
sunny nook which shelters our old age — home is 
still the dearest spot on earth. 

To build a home is one of the worthiest am- 
bitions of young manhood. We pity the young 
man — or young woman, either — who has not as 
the center of all life's plans the ideal of a happy 
home. The dream may never be realized ; alas ! 
it often is not, but that life is certainly abnormal 
117 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

in a very marked degree which does not cherish 
this ideal. 

But, at best, the homes of earth are transient. 
Life's tenderest ties must soon be severed. The 
loveliest homes, in time, will crumble to dust. 
How important, then, that we seek "a city which 
hath foundations, whose Builder and Maker is 
God," a hon;e "that fadeth not away, reserved in 
heaven for you !" 

I 'm sorry the impression prevails with many 
that we have nothing to do with the building of 
that home. True it is that Jesus said, 'T go to 
prepare a place for you," and we may not be 
far from the right thought when we sing, "Angels 
get my mansion ready," but are they not build- 
ing these mansions out of the materials we fur- 
nish? 

We frequently find good people greatly per- 
plexed about what is termed the "conflict" be- 
tween the "Gospel of Faith" and the "Gospel of 
Works." It is an old question. We read about 
it away back in Bible times. 

We are told that St. Paul and others preached 
the "Gospel of Faith," saying: "Believe on the 
Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved;" "By 
grace are ye saved, through faith, and that not 
of yourselves ; it is the gift of God ; not of works," 
— and again, "That no man is justified by the 
law in the sight of God, it is evident, for the just 
shall live by faith." 

In contrast to these are the quotations from 
it8 



BUY A LOT AND BUILD A HOME 

St. James and others, who, we are told, preached 
the "Gospel of Works," saying: "What doth 
it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath 
faith, and have not works ? Can faith save hiHfc?" 
And again, "Was not Abraham justified by 
works?" and concludes, "Ye see, then, how that 
by works a man is justified, and not by faith 
only." 

This so-called "conflict" between the teach- 
ings of the two great apostles has confused many. 
Even ministers — good and godly men — have, be- 
cause of imperfect understanding, taken sides and 
debated — not always in the most Christian spirit 
either — on the relative merits of faith and good 
works. 

To one party, faith has been almost the whole 
consideration. They have talked much of "be- 
lievers" and "unbelievers," forgetful often of the 
importance of Christian duty. 

The other party have been just as insistent 
upon "works," "good deeds," and "Christian serv- 
ice," almost regardless of a foundation of faith 
in Jesus Christ. 

The conversion which transformed Saul of 
Tarsus, the persecutor of the Church, into the 
great Apostle Paul is the favorite Scripture text 
of the one party, while the parable of the Good 
Samaritan and similar passages are the strong- 
hold of the other. 

Can these extremes be reconciled? We think 
so. 

T19 



SERMONS "FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

Is there a real conflict? We think not. 

Let us take a lesson from every-day life, 
and see if the difficulty does not vanish. 

Be this our plea: 

We ''buy a lot"— by faith. 

We "build a home" on it — by works. 

Sexton & Co. sell lots. I presume they sell 
"lots, and lots of lots." 

The purchase of a lot is one transaction — a 
positive, definite, complete transaction. When 
the purchase price is paid, the deed recorded and 
delivered, the deal is closed. 

Likewise the salvation of a soul is a positive, 
definite, and complete transaction. The thief on 
the cross, beside the cross of Jesus, was a lost 
and sinful man. He called upon the Lord for 
forgiveness, and received it. When he repented 
of his sins, confessed to Jesus, and by faith re- 
ceived Him as his Savior, he was saved. He 
had neither time nor opportunity for "good 
works." He could not descend from the cross 
and go about doing works of mercy and help 
by which to merit salvation. He could only "be- 
lieve on the Lord Jesus Christ" and receive His 
pardon. This he did, and Jesus said, "This day 
shalt thou be with Me in paradise." So with us 
all. "By grace are ye saved through faith." 

St. Paul was right. 

This salvation secures for us a lot — an in- 
heritance — in the eternal city. In other words, 
we "buy a lot" by faith. 

120 



BUY A LOT AND BUILD A HOME 

This lot includes the foundation — like a solid 
ledge of rock — upon which to build : for "other 
foundation can no man lay, than that is laid, 
which is Jesus Christ." He is the "Rock of 
Ages." 

Dear reader, have you received Jesus Christ 
as your Savior? Have you bought a lot in the 
city of God? The price Jesus paid for it was 
the price of Gethsemane and Calvary. He shed 
His blood upon the cross, to purchase for you 
a lot in the Holy City. The price He asks of 
you is to forsake sin and receive pardon. 

Now, what about "good works?" Are they 
not important? Yes. Let us look further. 

Sexton & Co. not only ask you to "Buy a lot," 
— they suggest also that you "Build a home." 
In fact, that is what you buy a lot for — to build 
a home upon. 

. But to "build a home" is another transaction, 
separate and distinct from the purchase of a lot. 

So, "doing good works" is a consideration 
separate and distinct from receiving salvation. 

A man could buy a lot and let it lie idle for 
years, but it would not avail him as a dwelling- 
place till he builds a home upon it. 

One may build a very cheap and humble 
home. Another may erect upon his lot a great 
building, with every modern comfort and con- 
venience. A man could build a house without 
first buying a lot. He would have to build on 
another's ground, and in time forfeit it. Or he 

121 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

might go to the river and build it on a sand- 
bar. The Bible tells of such a man. The result 
was disastrous, as might have been anticipated. 

Having bought our lot, by faith, we now pro- 
ceed to build our home — our eternal home — by 
good works. Every good deed done, every kind 
word spoken, every pure and holy thought and 
affection, every prayer uttered, every testimony 
offered, every dollar given to feed the hungry, 
comfort the sick, or carry the gospel to those 
in darkness, is a portion of the material of which 
our mansions in glory are builded. 

"Now if any man build upon this foundation," 
— that is our task now, to build of the materials 
that shall endure. 'Tf any man's work abide 
which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive 
a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, 
-he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved ; 
yet so as by fire." Thus, you see, we are re- 
warded according to our works. ''Ye see, then, 
how that by works a man is justified, and not by 
faith only." 

St. James was right. 

You have doubtless heard the story of a cer- 
tain lady who had been very careless about doing 
her Christian duty. She had experienced a clear 
conversion. She had attended the Church serv- 
ices regularly, had even testified sometimes of 
the "happy day when Jesus washed my sins 
away." She possessed talent, time, and means, 
but did little to help the cause of Christ. 

122 



BUY A LOT AND BUILD A HOME 

One night she had a dream. It seemed that 
she had died, and stood before the pearly gate. 
To her great delight she was admitted. A beauti- 
ful angel escorted her through the streets of 
gold, where stood the mansions of glory. They 
passed on and on till she fell to wondering which 
of these mansions should be hers. On and on 
they went till they reached the remotest suburbs 
of the city, w^here they paused before a little hut. 
"This," said the guide, "is your eternal home." 

"O !" she cried in anguish, "I thought we were 
to have mansions in heaven." "That was the 
intention," replied the angel, "but this was the 
best we could do with the material you sent up." 

When she waked to find it but a dream, she 
set to work, determined to "lay up treasures 
in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth 
corrupt, and where thieves do not break through 
nor steal." The church rang with the sweet 
music of her consecrated voice. Willing feet 
hastened to respond to the call of the distressed. 
Skilled and love-driven hands were swift to pre- 
pare food for the hungry and clothing for the 
destitute, or to smooth the pillows of the dying. 
Her very presence brought the atmosphere of 
light and joy, while sweet lips softly breathed 
the message of Christ's loA^e. ■ 

When at last those busy hands were folded, 
and that loving heart had ceased to beat, a multi- 
tude whom her life had blessed mourned her 
loss, and sweet tokens of love adorned her rest- 
123 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

ing-place. Can you doubt that the Blessed Mas- 
ter said, "Well done," or that she possessed "a. 
heavenly mansion near the throne?" 

Are not these loving ministries the "gold, 
silver, and precious stones" which shall endure 
the test of fire? 

There is no "conflict" between the teachings 
of St. Paul and St. James. 

Both are right. 

We are saved through faith. 

W^e are rewarded according to our works. 

The man w^ho is trying to live a good life 
without religion is simply trying to be a Chris- 
tian without Christ. He reminds us of an ex- 
ample Jesus gives : 

"He is like a man who, without a founda- 
tion, built his house upon the sand ; and the rain 
descended, and the floods carqe, and the winds 
blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell." 

So must fall every house, no matter how large, 
strong, or beautiful, which has no foundation. So 
must fall every life which is not built upon "the 
foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus 
Christ Himself being the chief Corner-stone." 

Dear reader: having received Jesus as your 
Savior — having bought your lot in the promised 
land — are you building a home upon it? O, 
spare not the toils and the tears ! Fear not to 
bear the world's reproaches. The more arduous 
the labor, the richer will be the reward. The 
heavier the cross, the brighter will be the crown. 
124 



HOW DID IT HAPPEN? 

"Time and chance happeneth to them all." 
'Tt was a chance that happened to us." 
"There shall no evil happen to the just." 
*'We know that all things work together for 
good to them that love God." 

"Now all these things happened unto them 
for ensamples ; and they are Avritten for our ad- 
monition." 

"Those eighteen, upon whom the tower in 
Siloam fell, and slew them; think ye that they 
were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusa- 
lem? I tell you nay." 

The word "accident" is not found in the Bible, 
though it is often heard from human lips. How 
familiar a sight is the ambulance ! How often 
the sound of the clanging bell and the clatter 
of galloping- hoofs attract our attention, and call 
from our lips the sympathetic murmur, "Some 
poor fellow hurt !" How the rooms and wards 
of our hospitals are filled ag-ain and again by 
the victims of some awful calamity ! A mistaken 
signal, and two trains collide — the groans of the 
wounded and dying attest the fearful results. A 
duty is willfully neglected — mangled remains, be- 
reaved homes, or bodies which must hobble about 
on crutches are the legitimate consequences. 
127 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

Why do accidents occur? and what lessons 
do they teach? 

In answer we reply that every accident is the 
result of, first, a willful wrong; or second, lack 
of knowledge; or third, carelessness. 

The fault may be in ourselves or in another, 
but in the last analysis one of these three reasons 
is found to be the real cause. 

How many there be who are suffering to-day 
whose appeals touch our hearts ; but when the 
real facts are learned, we find that they are 
simply reaping the legitimate harvests of their 
own wrong-doing ! 

I was called not long since to see a sick man — 
a very frequent experience. He complained of 
his lot. He was sure the Lord was not treating 
him right. He could not afford to lose the time 
from his work. His family needed his wages 
for their support. Why did the Lord afflict him ; 
he was no worse than others? How soon would 
he be well? He did not get better. Death came. 
The famil}^ expected the preacher to tell a nice 
religious little lie over his grave : "It hath 
pleased the Lord, in His wise providence, to 
remove from the scenes of time the soul of the 
departed." It is not true. It did not please the 
Lord at all. It displeased Him. Had he obeyed 
the Lord, that illness would not have happened 
to him. It Avas his own fault. 

Such scenes are repeated daily. What we call 
misfortunes, accidents, afflictions, and illnesses 
128 



HOW DTD IT HAPPEN? 

of various descriptions are so frequently the 
natural and inevitable consequences of our own 
deeds. 

But there are those who are suffering the 
results of the sins of others. Many children 
there be who "bear the iniquities of their fathers 
unto the third and fourth generation." 

The innocent often suffer for the misdoings 
of the guilty. A wedge is placed on the track. 
A train is wrecked. The guilty party escapes ; 
but many innocent suffer wounds, perhaps death. 
An employer uses an old and unsafe machine to 
save the expense of a new one. An accident is 
the result. A poor workingman hobbles about 
on crutches the rest of his life, and dies in the 
poor-house — but the employer enjoys a few more 
luxuries with the money a new machine would 
have cost. 

Why does God permit the innocent to suffer 
for the guilty? And is not a God who permits 
it an unjust God? Yes, — unless there is another 
chapter in life's story — unless there is a future 
life, where wrongs are righted. 

God permits many things which seem unjust, 
till we see the other side of the picture. ''There 
was a certain rich man who was clothed in 
purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously 
every day. And there was a certain beggar 
named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full 
of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs 
which fell from the rich man's table." Unequal? 
9 129 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

Yes. Unjust? It would have been, but the Bible 
tells the rest of the story. Read it. 

The second chapter of accidents are those 
which are caused by the lack of knowledge; or, 
in plain words, by ignorance. It is a long chap- 
ter, some of them were very foolish : 'T did n't 
know the gun was loaded." 'T did n't know the 
switch was open." "I did n't know the drug was 
poison." But O, the heart-breaking results ! 
Will we ever learn? Will we ever become more 
thoughtful? AVhy will we be so reckless of hu- 
man life and happiness? Will we hold the Lord 
responsible for our ignorance? 

There are other accidents arising from lack 
of knowledge where the motive was commend- 
able, and the results a blessing to others. A 
professor is making researches with some chem- 
icals that are little known. An explosion follows. 
The chemist has lost his eyes, but he has en- 
riched the world with a new discovery. The 
accident was the result of ignorance, but thie 
result of the accident was added wisdom. An 
exploring party perish from hunger and exposure, 
or their good ship is destroyed on unknown reefs ; 
they are lost, but they have blazed the way for 
the success of others. Had they known — their 
lives need not have been lost ; but because their 
lives were lost, others will know. 

Then, there are the accidents which result 
from carelessness. These are closely allied to 
the first class. Is it not wrong to be careless? 
130 



HOW DID IT HAPPEN? 

"I did n't think." No ; but you will think. Many, 
many times in the future you will think. Yes. 
and others will think. That man with the empty 
sleeve will think; and his thoughts of you will 
not be pleasant, if your carelessness cost him 
his good right arm. His wife and children will 
think. As they sit at their bare table they will 
think of the good food they might have had but 
for your carelessness. Their child — who is little 
more than a child — may have to toil in the fac- 
tory to help make a living, when he should have 
been in school. He may have had to work last 
Sunday for bread, while you sat in a cushioned 
pew and breathed a soft "Amen" when the pas- 
tor, in strong and eloquent words, scored the 
toilers who desecrated the Sabbath. 

''Be troubled, ye careless ones!" cried the 
faithful old prophet. His cry should echo down 
the ages, "Be troubled, ye careless ones !" Is 
not carelessness a sin? "To him that knoweth 
to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin." 
"If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn 
unto death, and those that are ready to be slain ; 
if thou sayest. Behold, we knew it not; doth not 
He that pondereth the heart consider it? and He 
that keepeth thy soul, doth not He know it? and 
shall not He render to every man according to 
his works?" 

Shall we not classify as criminally careless 
the wretch who, because of drunkenness, causes 
accident, suffering, and death? He loved his own 

131 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

self-gratification rather than his honor and the 
safety of those dependent upon him. 

If accidents, then, are the result of either 
ignorance or sin, does it not follow that accidents 
will continue to occur till we are free from both 
of these conditions? or at least, till we yield per- 
fect submission to the control of the One who 
is free from both ignorance and sin? Does not 
this thought indicate how it occurs that ''there 
shall no evil happen to the just?" 

Are we to understand, then, that the righteous 
are free from accidents, sicknesses, and other 
ailments ; and consequently, that whenever these 
things happen to any one, it is an indication 
that they are not righteous? that they are being- 
punished for their sins? No. We live in a 
world where ignorance and sin abound. We 
must needs be partakers, to some degree, of the 
experiences of the race. As the accidents and 
misfortunes of life are often due to the ignorance 
or sin of others, we are still liable to be the 
victims. 

Jesus was sinless, yet He was the victim of 
the ignorance and sin of others. Ignorance? 
Yes. Paul says, "Had they known it, they would 
not have crucified the Lord of glory." 

Be careful, very careful, my brother, lest ig- 
norance or sin lead you to a similar course. 

But there are those to whom we fain would 
send a special message. Does this book reach 
the cot of some sufferer? the victim of some 



HOW DTD IT HAPPEN? 

accident, or other illness? Take heart, my 
brother ! God can overrule even this ill and 
make it a blessing- to yon. How often have 
we seen impressions made and lessons taught 
in the time of affliction ! Not that the Lord 
does not call us at other times, but that we are 
sometimes so taken up with worldly things that 
we fail to hear or heed His call. 

The psalmist said, "It is good for me that 
I have been afflicted; that I might learn Thy 
statutes." "Before I was afflicted I went astray; 
but now have I kept Thy word." 'T know, O 
Lord, that Thy judgments are right, and that 
Thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me." 

Even though your accident or affliction was 
the fault of another, if you will but learn of God 
and walk in His ways, give Him your heart 
and become Christlike, you may yet be able to 
say, as Joseph did to his brethren, "Ye thought 
evil against me ; but God meant it unto good." 
He is able to make "all things work together lor 
good to them that love God." 

If the affliction of your body leads to the 
salvation of your soul, then will it prove to be 
truly a blessing, though in disguise. May you 
so hear and heed the call of God at this time 
that you may be able to say in later years: "I'he 
sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains 
of hell gat hold upon me; I found trouble and 
sorrow. Then called I upon the name of the 
Lord : O Lord, I beseech Thee, deliver my soul. 

133 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yea, our 
God is merciful. For Thou hast delivered my 
soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my 
feet from falling." 

''What shall I render unto the Lord for all 
His benefits toward me? I will take the cup 
of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. 
I will pay my vows unto the Lord now, in the 
presence of all His people." 



134 




BROCKMEYER'S, 

Where the pretty pictures are made. 303 Collinsville Ave,, East St. Louis 



PICTURES 

"Let lis make man in our imag^e, after our 
likeness." 

"I have oiven you an example, that ye should 
do as I have done to you." 

"To whom will ye liken God? or Avhat like- 
ness will ye compare unto Him?" 

"A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold 
in pictures of silver." 

"Then shall ye drive out all the inhabitants 
of the land before you, and destroy all their pic- 
tures." 

"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven 
image, or an}'- likeness of anything that is in 
heaven above, or that is in the earth l^eneath, 
. . . Thou shalt not bow down thyself to 
them nor serve them." 

Do pictures adorn your home? 

If not, 't is a cheerless place. No home is 
complete without them. Even a book without 
pictures is bare and uninviting. 

Beauty hath charms for all ages. But the 
l^eauty of earth is transient. The roses will 
wither, the flowers will fade, the leaves will fall, 
ripened fruit will spoil, and pretty children will 
grow old. 

Mr. Brockmeyer, with other photographers 
and painters, is busy preserving the present 
image of that which soon must change. They 
"catch the shadow, e'er the substance flee." 

137 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

The influence of pictures is difficult to over- 
estimate. How often a picture has been the 
determining- factor in a person's life, can never 
be fully known. One of our prominent lecturers 
on psychology tells of a lady who came to con- 
sult him upon the solution of a very serious 
problem. She had raised three sons — strong, 
manly fellows — who had never been away from 
home any considerable distance during their early 
years. As soon as the oldest son reached his 
majority he left home, embarked on an ocean 
vessel, and became a sailor. The second soon 
followed. Then the third also left home and 
went to sea. 

The parents were perplexed. Their home was 
inland. None of their ancestors, so far as they 
knew, had been sailors. Thus neither heredity 
nor environment seemed to be the determining 
factor in choosing their careers. 

The professor was puzzled. At last he visited 
their home, and was shown to the boys' room. 
There was the solution of the problem. Upon 
the wall at the foot of the bed, where their eyes 
would rest upon it, the last scene at night and 
the first in the morning, was the picture of a 
storm at sea, and a ship tossing in the waves. 
The picture had appealed to the adventurous 
spirit of the lads, and called them to the life of 
the sea. 

The extent to which pictures can be used in 
teaching has not yet been fully realized, though 

138 



PICTURES 

that method is much more commonly practiced 
now than formerly. 

In this respect, as in so many others, "the 
children of this world are in their generation 
wiser than the children of light." Vile pictures 
have often been used effectively in inciting to 
lust and passion, and one of the greatest evils 
that menace our children is the exhibition of 
pictures that stir the latent instincts of passion 
and love of adventure. 

The newspapers of a nearby city recently 
published the accounts of the burning of two 
fine hotels, with great loss of property and of 
precious lives, and stated that the young girl 
who was accused of the crimes confessed that 
she had witnessed the scenes of great fires in a 
moving picture show, and was so fascinated by 
the sight that she wanted to see some real fires, 
so had set fire to the building in wdiich she was 
employed. 

Boys have often been arrested for deeds of 
violence and bloodshed, who have confessed to 
a similar source of inspiration. How important 
that these places of amusement be carefully 
regulated and severely censored ! How im- 
portant that good homes be so adorned that the 
evil influences be overcome ! Money invested in 
good pictures is money well spent. 

Closely allied to the picture or photograph 
is the symbol, used as an illustration. Jesus 
was the greatest Teacher the world ever pro- 
139 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

duced, and He was profuse in the use of sym- 
bols or pictures ; in fact, the Word of God is 
replete with symbols throughout both the Old 
and New Testaments. 

The lamb, as the chief of sacrifices, Avas the 
emblem of Christ, "the Lamb of God, which 
taketh away the sin of the world." The feasts, 
the offerings, the services, and sacrifices of that 
early day were all symbols or pictures of spir- 
itual things. 

I am persuaded that we of this later day, 
were we more thoughtful and reverent, should 
be able to discern, in all the varied activities of 
life and the experiences of these mortal bodies, 
lessons of untold value in spiritual truth. 

Birth, physical birth, with all conditions and 
experiences appertaining thereto, when viewed 
with spiritual vision, is the most vivid and im- 
pressive picture the Almighty could present to 
men of the conditions and experiences of spir- 
itual birth, or being "born into the Kingdom of 
God." 

Growth, physical and mental growth, is the 
best possible pictiu'e of "growing in grace and in 
the knowledge and love of God." Tracing the 
experiences of the individual from the helpless 
days of infancy, through all successive stages of 
development, to maturity and old age, is the 
greatest lesson one could learn concerning the 
development of the soul. 

The food requisite to the development of the 

I_jO 



PICTURES 

body teaches us, in unmistakable terms, the les- 
sons of food for the soul. So also with clothing, 
houses, schools, Churches, and the varying ac- 
tivities of the business, educational, and social 
world. 

The Church presents to us living pictures and 
symbols of spiritual truth. The Church itself 
is but a picture or likeness of things eternal. 
Take, for instance, the lesson of baptism. AAHiat 
is it but the picture of a great spiritual truth? 
John, the forerunner of Jesus, tried to make it 
plain when he said, 'T indeed baptize you with 
water, but He shall baptize you wuth the Holy 
Ghost." The one is the picture or symbol of 
the other. John could baptize the body — a ma- 
terial substance — with water — another material 
substance; so can the minister of to-day. But 
it is only a physical experience. It does not 
reach the soul. If the soul is to be "baptized" — 
that is, "cleansed, purified, made clean" — that 
work must be done with the Holy Spirit. Thus 
the baptism of the body with water is but a 
picture of the baptism of the soul with the Spirit 
of God. The mistake so many good people make 
is to be content with the symbol without re- 
ceiving the reality. 

The holy communion or sacrament of the 
Lord's Supper is also a picture, symbol, or like- 
ness, intended to teach us of the spiritual truth 
which it signifies. The bread and the wine are 
the symbols. They are material. They are re- 

141 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

ceived into the material body. They are digested 
and assimilated, and become a part of the body. 
But if we would really "partake of the com- 
munion," it must be a spiritual matter. We must 
receive the Spirit of God and so assimilate it that 
our spirit thereby partakes of the Spirit of God. 
Thus do we become like Him. 

Some people are troubled about the literal 
teaching concerning the actual body and blood. 
Eet us illustrate it. I went one day to a home 
where I was a stranger. The father had been 
unexpectedly called away, and the time of his 
return was uncertain. The family were dis- 
tressed at the thought that T would not have 
the privilege of meeting him. I was shown into 
the parlor, and one of the daughters led the way 
to w^here a splendid oil-painting adorned the 
wall. Gently adjusting the curtains so that the 
light would fall to greatest advantage upon the 
features of the life-sized portrait, she turned and, 
with the love-light of a dutiful daughter shining 
in her eyes, she exclaimed, "This is my papa !" 
I admired the portrait, reading as best I could 
his life stor}^ as recorded in the character-lines 
of that noble countenance. 

As we stood thus, the door opened and a fine, 
manly form appeared. With a cry of joy, the 
daughter bounded to his side, threw her arms 
a1)out his neck and kissed him. Then, remem- 
bering my presence, she turned and said, "This 
is my papa." AYhat did it mean? She had just 

142 



PICTURES 

said of the portrait, "This is my papa," and now 
that the man appeared she repeated the same 
words of him. AVhat did she mean? Did she 
have two papas? No. It is perfectly clear to 
us. The one was the picture, the likeness of 
the other. 

So with the symbols used by the Church. 
They are but the pictures by which to teach 
the world as best we can of the nature and like- 
ness of the Heavenly Father. When He shall 
appear, hoAv gladly will we turn from the sym- 
bols to greet the living presence of our loving 
Parent ! 

The worship of "the likeness of anything that 
is in heaven above, or that is in the earth be- 
neath" is expressly forbidden in the Word of 
God. We must not repeat the mistake of those 
who made the symbol, the image, or the likeness 
of the things of God, an end in themselves. 
These are intended to teach us to worship God 
alone. Be careful that you put no idol upon 
the throne which rightly belongs to Him. 

Man is himself a likeness — "in the image 
of God created He him." 

The devil is the cartoonist of the ages. He 
works in living models. Man was created in 
the likeness of God. Alas ! how the ravages of 
sin have made him a caricature ! 

Onl}^ Jesus, the Supreme Artist, can wipe out 
the character-lines of evil and restore in man 
the image of the Creator. 

143 



SPEED, COMFORT, BEAUTY 

"Brethren, the time is short." 
"Remember how short my time is." 
"He hath made everything beautiful." 
"O, worship the Lord in the beauty of holi- 
ness." 

"Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon 
us." 

"Deck thyself now with majesty and excel- 
lency ; and array thyself with glory and beauty." 
"Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but 
a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be 
praised. Her children shall rise up and call her 
blessed. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and 
let her own works praise her in the gates." 

Life is brief. To get the greatest good out 
of it we must use every available moment. We 
must not waste our time. "Dost thou love life?" 
asked Franklin ; "then do not squander time, for 
that is the stuft life is made of." 

How to save time is one of the greatest prob- 
lems of this busy world. The man who invents 
a machine which will do, in one hour, the work 
it formerly took another machine two hours to 
accomplish, is hailed with delight ; for he has 
practically doubled the time. A machine which 
travels two miles while another travels one has 
added one hundred per cent to the time of the 
144 



SPEED, COMFORT, BEAUTY 

traveler. Superintendents and traffic managers 
of our railroads and transportation companies 
devote much time and thought to the subject 
of more rapid transportation. 

"Time is money" is a motto often seen on 
the wall of a busy man's office. 

St. Paul had a better thought. ''Walk in 
wisdom, redeeming the time," was his counsel 
to the Church at Colossus. To the Ephesrans 
he wrote of "redeeming the time, because the 
days are evil." Well might we of this day give 
heed to those warnings. 

Horace Mann put out this notice : 

"Lost : Somewhere between sunrise and sun- 
set, two golden hours, each set with sixty dia- 
mond minutes. No reward is offered, for they 
are gone forever." 

How many "golden hours," how many "dia- 
mond minutes" are shamefully wasted by our 
people, both young and old ! The value of time, 
the use of spare moments, the necessity of being 
"up and doing" if we would succeed in life's 
undertakings are themes every man and woman 
should ponder well. 

We are told that Methuselah lived "nine hun- 
dred sixty and nine years," but our lives should 
be, comparatively, longer than his, for: 

"We live in deeds, not years ; in thoughts, not 

breaths ; 
In feelings, not in figures on a dial. 

14; 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

AVe should count time by heart-throbs. He most 

lives 
AVho thinks most, feels the noblest, acts the 

best." 

A second thought with which we are much 
concerned is that of comfort. The invention 
which increases speed is useful, but that which 
adds to our comfort is still more popular. When 
speed and comfort are combined, the arrange- 
ment is in great demand. 

We must, however, include in our most popu- 
lar vehicle one more specification — beauty. The 
ugly machine can never be popular. 

All through the ages the minds of ambitious 
and inventive geniuses have been intent upon 
devising the most speedy, comfortable, and beau- 
tiful methods of travel. The culmination of it 
all is the automobile. 

The crude materials which God placed in 
great abundance within man's reach, the great, 
mysterious powers entrusted to his hand, have 
been so developed and combined as to form this 
wonderful machine, which is, to date, the acme 
of speed, comfort, and beauty. 

Regarded at first as a mere toy or source of 
pleasure and amusement, the auto has won its 
way to a foremost place in the activities of man. 

What varied duties are expected of these 

wonderful machines ! Yonder a heavy truck is 

groaning beneath its load of freight. Useful? 

Yes, and capable of attaining a fair degree of 

T48 



SPEED, COMEORT. BEAUTY 

speed — but hardly a thing of comfort, or of 
beauty. The opposite extreme is the racing car, 
built for speed and beauty, but of little use — 
nay, often a curse. Between these extremes are 
all grades and varieties of self-propelling ma- 
chines. Let us notice a few, and study their 
mission. 

Down the street we see the doctor's auto 
flying along, regardless of the legal speed-limit. 
The "motor-cop" lets him pass without a word 
or sign. We know the story — not the details, 
but its essential points. Some one is sick. The 
doctor's services are needed quickly. A life may 
depend upon a few seconds. Speed is the need 
of the moment. Not so much a question of com- 
fort or of beauty, but speed — speed — speed. Of 
course, it is the auto's duty. 

Or it may be an ambulance call. A stone or 
timber has fallen ; an engine has left the rails, 
or a car has been demolished in a wreck. Men 
are injured, bleeding, dying. "Speed!" is the cry. 
Speed — yes, and comfort. Get these men to the 
hospital as quickly as possible, but with the 
greatest possible degree of comfort. Beauty is 
not to be considered now. Life is at stake. 

Another scene. An invalid is battling with 
disease ; trembling in the balances between health 
and sickness, or between life and death. A ride 
in the fresh air is the thing. Comfort is the con- 
sideration. Never mind the speed now. Gently, 
slowly, carefully. Let the cool breezes of the 
149 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

park, the bright sunshine and pure air win back 
the glow to the cheek and send the life-blood 
again pulsing through the veins. 

Again the scene changes. This time it is a 
jolly party of young people on pleasure bent. 
Not th^ coarse, vulgar, detestable ''joy-riders" 
who disgrace humanity, and bring the blush of 
shame to the cheek of purity. No, no. Spare us 
even the thought of such as these. But clean, 
decent, respectable young people. Young people 
who can enjoy life without debasing it. What a 
pretty sight to see such a company enjoying the 
delights of an auto ride. Beauty is now the de- 
mand. Speed? Yes, enough to be exhilarating. 
A speed that will be in harmony with the quick 
pulse-beat of joy-throbbing youth. Comfort? 
Yes, but not the care of an invalid. What reck 
they of a few bumps, or even an accident now 
and then? But beauty? It must be there. The 
auto meets the demand. It glides over sunny 
boulevards, through shady parks, and out along 
the country lanes, where wave the golden har- 
vests ; where sweet-voiced birds, with riot of song 
and trill, make sweetest music to the passers-by; 
where blooming trees, clinging vines, and modest, 
half-hidden wa3^side flowers spill sweetest fra- 
grance on the balmy breeze; on and on, to subur- 
ban town, or neighboring metropolis, the auto 
speeds with its precious cargo. Beauty, speed, 
comfort, joy, laughter, song, health, and happi- 
150 



SPEED, COMFORT, BEAUTY 

ness crowning the sweet young life. Glorious 
missions of the speeding car ! 

Other scenes there are. Sad? Yes, but with 
that holy sadness which is deeper than the deep- 
est, joy. An aged mother sits in an easy-chair. 
Hers is a life well spent. Children have come 
to this household. This mother descended time 
and again to the borderland of eternity, amid 
pain and aja^uish, but returned each time, folding 
to her bosom a beauteous babe. These children 
have been carefully trained through childhood's 
tender years and have grown to statures of manly 
strength and womanly grace. 

One by one the boys have gone forth to found 
other homes ; but anon have returned with blush- 
ing brides to visit the old homestead. 

The daughters have been borne away by the 
strong arms of love to nests prepared by ardent 
lovers, and, in later years, have returned again 
and again, bearing little bundles of precious flesh 
and blood, and mind and soul, fresh from the 
dewy borders of the heavenly land, and laid them, 
for a blessing, in "grandma's" arms. 

The stalwart husband of her youth and ma- 
turity has fallen in life's conflict; fallen honor- 
ably, perished at his post of duty, and left the 
blessed memory of a noble life. 

The aged mother sits on the sunny porch of 
the old homestead as the evening sun is setting. 
Children, grandchildren, and others of remoter 

151 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

kindred gather near. A message falls calmly 
from those fading lips : 

"Children, I 'm so glad you have all been with 
me to celebrate this, my last birthday. I would 
not that we should close the day in sadness, but 
one message I must speak. I feel the evening 
dews of life falling. I know that the dawn of 
eternal day, for me, is near. Before another year 
you must lay me to sleep beside your father. 
Weep not, in sorrow, for me. 

"Sing for me, please: 

" T would not live alway; I ask not to say 

Where storm after storm rises dark o'er the 
way : 
The few lurid mornings that dawn on us here 
Are enough for life's woes; full enough for its 
cheer. 

" T would not live alway; no, welcome the tomb 
Since Jesus hath lain there — I dread not its 
gloom. 

There sweet be my rest, till He bids me arise 
To hail Him in triumph, descending the skies. 

"'Who, who would live alway; away from his 

God? 

Away from yon heaven, that blissful abode. 

Where rivers of pleasure flow o'er the bright 

plains. 

And the noontide of glory eternally reigns ; 

" 'Where the saints of all ages in harmony meet. 
Their Savior, and brethren transported, to 
greet ; 

T.S2 



SPEED, COMFORT, BEAl^TY 

A\niere the anthems of rapture unceasingly roll, 
And the smile of the Lord is the feast of the 
soul.' 

''That song- expresses my feelings better than 
I could frame them in other words. Children, 
I have but one request. Thus far you have been 
good ; not only to me, but to all. When I am 
gone, remember the lessons I taught you in child- 
hood. 

"Be good, and you will be happy; for happi- 
ness or misery comes from within, not from with- 
out. Be honest and true, and you will be suc- 
cessful. You may not lay up a fortune, but you 
will have greater riches than money. Be kind, 
and kindness will some day return to you. Ene- 
mies you will have, and sometimes trusted friends 
will prove false and cruel ; but be patient, and the 
tide will turn. Above all, be Christians ; for to 
be Christlike includes all virtues, and excludes all 
vices. Love one another with a pure heart, fer- 
vently ; fulfill to your very best the duties of life, 
and we shall soon meet to hear the Master say, 
'Well done.' " 

The months pass swiftly, and mother's antici- 
pations are fulfilled. 

The auto comes. Not the doctor's now, for 
she knows no pain. Not the "joy-ride" now, for 
hers is a higher joy than earth can know. The 
beautiful auto-hearse, followed by the luxurious 
limousines, bears away the precious body, from 
which the sweet spirit has flown. 

153 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

In days of youth, "grandma" rode the "bridle- 
path" of the wilderness on horseback, and crossed 
the broad prairie in a rude wagon. In later years 
a carriage was bought and used at their home. 

Now, in her death, her body glides away to 
the tomb in the easy, graceful auto. What 
changes the years have brought ! But we doubt 
not that, if the curtains of eternal day were drawn 
aside, we would behold that soul, redeemed and 
made pure by the cleansing blood of Jesus, sweep- 
ing in triumph through the gates of glory in as 
gorgeous a carriage as the chariot of Elijah. 



154 



WHEN YOU GO TO HOUSEKEEPING 

"Come thou and all thy house into the ark." 
''For I know him, that he will command his 

children and all his household after him, and they 

shall keep the way of the Lord." 

"Then said He unto them, Therefore every 

scribe which is instructed into the Kingdom of 

heaven is like unto a man that is an householder; 

which bringeth forth out of his treasure things 

new and old." 

"When you go to housekeeping" there are 
many things to be provided : stoves, furniture, 
carpets, household goods of all descriptions. By 
all means, deal with an honest, honorable firm. 
Avoid those tricky, unscrupulous companies 
which exhibit alluring attractions, for they are 
but baits to a trap which, when you are once 
caught in its meshes, will make life miserable for 
you for weeks or months, perhaps even for 
years. Deal- with men who are interested in our 
town, in A^our home and m'ine, in our Churches, 
schools, and every good thing. 

"AAHien you go to housekeeping" there are 
many things to think about besides furniture : 
matters more essential than the house and its 
furnishings. 

V.'^hen we think of going to housekeeping, we 
naturally associate the thought with that of 

157 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

3^ouno- people, "newly-weds," perhaps. Let us 
hope that a genuine courtship has preceded their 
w^edding — that the young people have becomo 
thoroughly acquainted, and their fitness for each 
other's companionship has been clearly ascer- 
tained. How we deplore those hasty, unloving 
matches which are sometimes called marriages ! 
What unhappy homes, what scandals of divorce, 
what blight upon innocent childhood are the le- 
gitimate and inevitable results of such weddings ! 

In the homes of the very poor we sometimes 
find that the parents desire their girls — of whom 
they perhaps have an abundant supply — to be 
married off as soon as possible to almost any 
man who will take them, that they may be rid 
of the responsibility and cost of their support. 
vSad indeed the lot of such an unfortunate girl ! 
In more pretentious homes it is often no better. 
The daughters are urged to seek those who may 
have wealth to lavish upon them, regardless of 
how that wealth was accumulated, or the moral 
character of the man who dispenses it. These 
girls might well bear the tag, "To be sold to the 
highest bidder." So throughout the various 
grades of society do we find varying forms of 
these abuses. 

But we will suppose that this couple who are 
going to housekeeping are a well-mated pair. 
Their families are from the same social and in- 
tellectual plane. Their tastes harmonize. Love 
is the bond which draws their hearts and lives 
ic;8 



WHEN YOU GO TO HOUSEKEEPING 

to each other. They have started right. The 
prospect is bright. Still we must bear in mind 
that there are certain considerations necessary 
to a happy and successful life. Let us bear in 
mind a few. 

A keenness of appreciation of the tastes and 
desires of each other will do much to secure the 
harmony so essential to the making of a happy 
home. If you see that your wife has a particu- 
lar fondness for a certain recreation — music, for 
instance — see that the proper instruments be pro- 
vided as soon as possible. If the husband relish 
a certain kind of food, or a common dish served 
in some particular style, let it be had whenever 
convenient. The keeping of certain hours, the 
entertainment of certain friends, or the enjoy- 
ment of a drive now and then — whatever be the 
particular taste of your companion — let it be 
gratified at proper intervals and in reasonable 
measure. 

Avoid petty quarrels and unkind words. Lit- 
tle words and deeds of anger and spite are like 
particles of sand in the bearings of machinery. 
They are not large, but they cut and grind till 
the machine is ruined. Many a home is ruined 
in that way. 

Curb jealousy and evil imaginations. The 
world is full of evil things, we know ; but do 
not always be hunting for them, nor imagining 
them where they do not exist. Your husband 
will be tempted with a thousand forms of evil — 

159' 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

all men are. He must go out to meet a wicked 
world and engage in its activities in order to 
earn your support and keep a comfortable home 
for you. In so doing, a multitude of temptations 
and trials will be his, which you, in the seclusion 
and quiet of your home, will never be compelled 
to face. He meets dishonest people and is 
tempted to lower his own standard. He mingles 
with vile men, and the lessons of vulgarity and 
obscenity are easily learned. The siren's songs 
invite him to sensual pleasure. The flowing bowl 
allures him to intemperance. The exciting games 
of skill and of chance stir within him a thirst 
for conquest, and a desire to attain and to demon- 
strate his superiority over his fellows. Political 
aspirations are awakened, and under the guise 
of patriotism the appeals of the demagogue 
gather force. The love of money seizes him, and 
he is tempted to sell the precious jewels of man- 
hood for the dross of gold. These and a thou- 
sand other forms of evil are before him daily. 
Will he yield, as so many others have done? 
Will he boom toward the heights of life on a 
wave of prosperity, only to be hurled back to 
the drifting sands a helpless wreck? 

Three well-known forces will do much to 
stem the tide and save him from failure and ruin: 
conscience, love of home, love of God. 

Here is the wife's supreme opportunity. This 
is the greatest work of her life. The wife who, 
by her own purity of life and sweetness of char- 
i6o 



WHEN YOU GO TO HOUSEKEEPING 

acter, can fan again into brightness the droop- 
ing flame of conscience; the wife who makes 
home so pleasant that, like the music of Orpheus, 
it outbids the charms of the sirens ; the wife who, 
by her modest and unpretentious devotion and 
sweet, Christian spirit, keeps the fires burning 
upon the family altar, and so reinforces the heart 
of her husband by the awakened love of God in 
his soul that these forces enable him to overcome 
the temptations of the world and lead a clean, 
upright, Christian life — such a wife is man's 
greatest blessing. 

Alas for the home where dwells a careless, 
slovenly, vulgar wife ! Alas for the poor hus- 
band who returns from a day of labor, discour- 
agement, and temptation, to meet a scolding, 
complaining, faultfinding wife! Alas for that 
man who learns, after marriage, that she whom 
he has chosen for a life's companion is a giddy, 
hare-brained, frivolous creature, who goes gad- 
ding about, a joke, a by-word, and a reproach 
to his name ! When you go to housekeeping you 
need, not simply a housekeeper, but a wife — in 
all the sweet significance of that term. 

But many a good wife has no husband — or 
so nearly none that she had better be a widow 
indeed. True, there is by her side a creature 
whom God intended to have been a man. He 
walks on two feet, wears a suit, votes on election 
day, and bears the name of a man. But he is 
not a husband — because he is not a man. It re- 
^^ i6i 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

quires something more than a hundred and fifty 
pounds of flesh and bone in human form to con- 
stitute a man. We will not discuss at length the 
evil propensities of this being. The specimens 
met daily upon our streets are object lessons to 
the thoughtful which make us sick at heart. Pro- 
fane men ! Drunken men! Vile men! O, the 
miserable wrecks of wasted, perverted, sinful hu- 
manity ! When you go to housekeeping, do not 
take that kind of a creature to be your com- 
panion. 

As the years pass, the young people who went 
to housekeeping in modest quarters will prob- 
ably move into a more pretentious home. They 
will go again to these merchants for more house- 
hold goods. As children arrive in the household 
and grow to maturity, their needs must also be 
met. There is a whole family to provide for 
now. Time brings its changes. So in the finer 
furnishings of that home changes, too, will come. 
Passing years should witness new attainments 
and added graces in the family circle. The path 
of life should mark continued progress in char- 
acter-building. 

'T is for this reason that the Heavenly Father 
permits the light and shadows to fall across our 
paths. Like the succes-sion of winter's frosts and 
summer's sunbeams come the sorrows and pleas- 
ures of life, and while much of our experience is 
shrouded in mystery, the thoughtful may often 
discern the richest blessings in the darkest trials. 
162 



WHEN YOU GO TO HOUSEKEEPING 

God makes no mistakes ; and His providences 
are designed to chasten, purify, and develop us. 
To this end He employs the experiences of the 
home, as well as those of the Church and school. 

Sometimes the materials with which He has 
to work are ver}^ unpromising. 

What minister has not had experience like 
this? A 3^oung couple come to the parsonage, 
bearing the necessary legal documents, and re- 
quest him to perform a marriage ceremony. The 
bride is young, innocent, and pretty ; a sort of 
butterfly creature, who appears to have not the 
slightest idea of the gravity and importance of 
the step she is taking. The groom is a guileless, 
green, awkward, gawky sort of youth, whose one 
thought is the admiration of the pretty little 
creature wdio is to be his wife. He thinks she 
is surely the prettiest and sweetest creature on 
earth, and is amazed at his own good fortune 
in securing her for his bride. 

During the solemn ceremony the bride gig- 
gles, fidgets, and chews gum, answering the grave 
questions with the most flippant accents. The 
groom is slow, shy, and bashful, and in his almost 
idiotic fascination for the girl at his side, forgets 
to answer at all. 

During the conversation that follows, while 
the required information concerning age, family 
relations, place of residence, and other items are 
being recorded, the bride, who does most of the 
talking, imparts the interesting information that 

163 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

they do not attend Church anywhere ; that they 
usually g-o to a dance on Saturday night, so they 
are tired and sleepy, and "don't get- up in time" 
to attend the morning services. Sunday night 
they usually "go to the picture show, because it 's 
so lively there, you know, and I do dearly love 
to have a good time," She rattles on, explaining 
that they intended to "just go down to the jus- 
tice of the peace to get hitched up," but "ma 
raised such a fuss, and said they must go to the 
preacher's," and "it did n't make no difference to 
us, nohow," so they "just come here." 

Out of such crude material must the Lord 
undertake the task of building a home. 

When they are gone, the minister's wife turns 
in disgust and says, "Well, of all the silly people 
in the world, they surely are the limit !" and the 
parson gravely responds, "Yes, a very unpromis- 
ing couple — very unpromising; but we must see 
if we can not help them to better ways." 

Time passes. They attend the services once 
in a great while, sit in the back seat, behave 
badly, pay little attention, and hasten away at 
the close of the sermon, glad that the unwelcome 
ordeal is over. Their shallow brains have been 
able to receive very little of divine truth. 

The pastor visits their home. The furniture 
is cheap and gaudy, and the house is poorly kept. 
The wife does not apologize, but explains that 
she "just hates housework anyhow," so leaves 
most of it undone. 

164 



WHEN YOU GO TO HOUSEKEEPINCx 

The husband has learned a few things. He 
has found that much of the beauty which 
charmed him is merely a ''made-up" affair. That 
she is not half so charming at home, in every- 
day dress as she was in "company clothes." He 
has discovered that she is sadly lacking in the 
qualities essential to a good housekeeper. She 
knows little about cooking, his meals are 
wretched, and he is not able to employ a cook. 
The home is not a pleasant place: his clothes 
are neglected, provisions are wasted, and an air 
of general disorder prevails. 

He has also discovered that the love she lav- 
ished upon him in the days of courtship, the 
honeyed w^ords she whispered in his ear, and the 
sweet kisses with which she rewarded his slight- 
est favors could all have been won by most any 
other man who happened along; that the mar- 
riage vows, which she took between her giggles 
and gum, were very lightly esteemed. Nat that 
she was really bad, vicious, or immoral, but 
rather that she was not anything in particular. 

He has become discouraged. He has no heart 
in working to provide for such a wife and such 
a home. He tells his troubles to his friends. 
They chafe him, tell him he is a fool to stay in 
such a, home, and invite him to spend his even- 
ings in the saloon or at the club. His work is a 
drudge, is poorly done, so he loses his job. 

But one day the pastor calls again. The hus- 
band meets him with a new light in his eyes and 

165 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

a firmness in his step he did not know before. 
He passes through the parlor, out into the sitting- 
room. The wife comes to greet him, holding in 
her arms a sweet little babe. There is a grace 
of womanliness in her bearing which she did not 
before possess. 

The pastor takes heart and hopes for better 
days. He persuades them to have their baby 
baptized, to which they consent rather reluctantly 
because they ''ain't very much on religion no- 
how," still they would "like to do well by the 
little feller." 

A few weeks later the pastor is called in 
haste. He finds them bending over the little 
crib, anxiously watching the feverish, suffering 
child. Over and over come the "sighs, and sobs, 
and feverish prayers." "O Lord, spare us our 
child !" 

The dark hours drag slowly by, till near the 
dawn the struggles cease, the heart-throbs grow 
fainter; till, pale and pulseless, the child lies dead 
in its mother's arms. 

We will not attempt to describe the anguish 
of that mother's heart, nor the stirring emotions 
of that young father through the sad scenes that 
follow. But what a contrast between that couple 
as they now appear and the time when first we 
sav/ them. The frivolous, giggling, gum-chewing 
girl is learning deeper lessons in sorrow than 
she ever would have learned in pleasure. God's 
i66 



WHEN YOU GO TO HOUSEKEEPING 

purpose is to make the best of us, and He makes 
no mistakes in His providences. 

Five years later we visit that home. The 
green, gawky, bashful boy has become a stalwart, 
manly man. The suspicious, doubting, unsteady 
expression is gone from his eyes. The battles 
of life, the fires of affliction, the stern realities 
of the world's work have purged out the dross, 
refined the gold, tempered the soft metal, and 
developed his manhood. The wife, too, has 
grown stronger in character with passing years. 

Two pretty children, neatly clad and bearing 
unmistakable evidences of good training, adorn 
the family circle. 

The Holy Bible, clean but well worn from 
daily use, lies on the center-table. 

The unpromising couple, through the refining 
furnaces of affliction, have been led to Christ; 
and His Word has become "a lamp unto their 
feet, and a light unto their path." 



167 



A CLEANER CITY 

"He went throng-hout every city and village 
preaching, and showing the glad tidings of the 
Kingdom of God." 

"Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me 
clean ; and He put forth His hand and touched 
him. saying, I Avill ; be thou clean." 

"There was, in a certain city, a judge who 
feared not God, nor regarded man ; and there 
was a widow in that city — " 

"Alas, alas that great city! that might city! 
for in one hour is thy judgment come." 

"And he carried me away in the spirit to a 
great and high mountain, and shewed me that 
great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending; out of 
heaven from God." 

Who does not long for a cleaner city? Who- 
ever he be who does not, he is not a good citizen. 
I care not what position he may hold, nor how 
wealthy he may be, the man who is not con- 
cerned for a cleaner city is lacking in the es- 
sentials of good citizenship. 

You have heard it said that "cleanliness is 
next to godliness." Rather may we say, "cleanli- 
ness is a part of godliness," for godliness and 
filth do not go hand in hand. 

We are thinking to-day of a firm whose work 
is directed toward one phase of cleanliness. Clean 
clothes are essential. Soap and water are im- 
i68 



A CLEANER CITY 

portant elements in civilization ; in fact, some one 
has remarked that the civilization of any people 
may be correctly estimated by the amount of soap 
they use. 

"Fine feathers mak-e fine birds," we are told. 
Clean clothes may not make clean people, but 
they do surely indicate the thoughts and pur- 
poses of their wearers. 

There is a word in our language which our 
forefathers used in a different sense than we now 
use it, and that is the word "habit" as applied 
to clothing. They spoke of a "riding habit," 
meaning a dress or costume worn when riding; 
they also spoke of a "walking habit," etc. There 
is food for thought in this use of the word. What 
clothing is to the body, our habits are to the soul. 

Clean clothes suggest to us clean bodies, and 
cleanliness of body is a religious duty. "Knov/ ye 
not that the temple of God is holy? which temple 
ye are." "Your body is the temple of the Holy 
Ghost : therefore glorify God in your body, and 
in your spirit, which are God's." 'T beseech you, 
therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that 
ye present your bodies, a living sacrifice, holy, 
acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable 
service." 

It is hard to convince sensible people that you 
care for the cleanness of soul when they see that 
you care not for the cleanness of your body. I 
speak not now of the pollution of the body by 
the sweat and grime of honest toil. That is 
171 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

easily washed off, and most working people de- 
light to ''clean up" when working hours are over. 
But what of those awful pollutions of the body 
which are the result of sin? Why is it danger- 
ous to drink at a public fountain, or to wash 
in a public basin, or sleep in a public house? 
Polluted bodies have been there. Should not our 
laws be rigidly drawn and strictly enforced to 
compel physical cleanliness? And should not the 
public conscience be awakened on the subject? 
Let our people be plainly told that physical vile- 
ness is sin, and that God will hold them responsi- 
ble for every abuse of the body which He has 
given them. 

Clean minds and souls are more important 
than clean bodies and, in fact, we need not ex- 
pect clean bodies where the mind and soul are 
polluted. What intellectual and moral filth is 
tolerated among us! Why should it be? If one 
who would spread a contagious disease should 
be taken to the "pest house," what should be 
done with one who scatters mental and moral 
vileness? 

What shall we say of the vile literature cir- 
culated among our people? This is a reading 
age. Books, magazines, and newspapers multi- 
ply. Reading is an excellent habit, provided we 
read the right kind of literature : but far better 
that our people live in ignorance than that they 
become mental garbage-cans. Ignorance is bad, 
but mental and moral filth is worse. 
172 



A CLEANER CITY 

Political vileness has been the theme of so 
many sermons, essays, and addresses that it is 
regarded as a hackneyed subject. The strongest 
language that tongue or pen can command has 
been used to depict these conditions. One emi- 
nent divine in a recent publication pictures the 
condition of our largest city thus : "There is 
enough political corruption in New York City, 
could it be transformed into literal mud, to sink 
ten thousand ocean steamers five thousand fath- 
oms deep and hold them there till doomsday 
and beyond. And it would be worth to our Na- 
tion a million times the value of the ships could 
the corruption be thus disposed of." 

Political corruption is not a new thing. John 
Adams wrote to his wife from Philadelphia, in 
1776, while Congress was in session, declaring 
that the spirit of venality then prevalent was 
the most dreadful and alarming enemy America 
had to oppose. "It is as rapacious and insatiable 
as the grave," he writes. 'Tf God Almighty does 
not interfere by His grace to control this uni- 
versal idolatry to the mammon of unrighteous- 
ness, we shall be given over to the chastisements 
of His judgments. I am ashamed of the age 
I live in." 

If such conditions prevailed in the early days 
of our National history, and the patriotic and 
righteous people of that day could still so over- 
come them as to bring to pass the glorious 
achievements to which we point with pride and 

17,3 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

gratitude, we of this g-eneration can, by the grace 
of God, overcome our adverse conditions and 
leave as worthy a record to our descendants as 
they have left to us. 

It will require courage, patience, persistence, 
and a firm faith in God and in the final triumph 
of right. Moreover, it will require concerted ac- 
tion through the agencies God has appointed 
and by means of which every right-minded per- 
son will have opportunity to do his or her full 
share in bringing about the better conditions. 
It can not be done by individual effort, however 
strong the individual may be. 

Caution against the opposite extreme, how- 
ever, is necessary. It will not do for one of 
us to sit idly by and say, "Whenever the Church 
or city or Nation gets ready to act, I will do my 
part, but I 'm not going to try it alone." Sup- 
pose Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and others 
of the early day had taken that course? Would 
they have accomplished so great works? and 
would their names be so revered to-day? Rather 
may we partake of the spirit of the patriot, Pat- 
rick Henry, who cried in trumpet tones, "I know 
not what course others may take, but as for me, 
give me libert}^ or give me death !" or of the grand 
old prophet who said to his people, "Choose you 
this'day whom ye will serve ; but as for me and 
my house, we will serve the Lord." 

The battle of all is the battle of each. If the 
Church has a thousand foes, each individual in 

174 



A CLEANER CITY 

it has a thousand foes. If good citizenship has 
a thousand opponents, each good citizen has that 
many opponents. 

Our motto, then, must be, "Each for all, and 
all for each." Each individual doing his or her 
full duty, and co-operating with every other in- 
dividual who loves God and his fellow-men. Let 
no political, social, or sectarian prejudices hinder 
our work for cleaner manhood and the reign of 
righteousness. 

Our sphere of action, however, must neces- 
sarily be limited. The business firm to which 
we refer is the ''East St. Louis Laundry," The 
name is suggestive. East St. Louis is their field. 
East St. Louis is also our field. Why should 
we depend upon a neighboring city to cleanse 
our foul garments? It should be done in our 
own city. We do not depend upon the police 
of St. Louis to preserve order here, nor upon 
their teachers to teach our children, nor upon 
their officers to administer our city affairs. It 
is our own business to clean up our own town. 
Why are we here? Why has the Lord placed 
us here, or permitted us to be placed here, un- 
less He intended that our most earnest efforts 
should be directed toward the betterment of this 
city? 

I can not conceive how any citizen of East 
St. Louis can be truly interested in foreign mis- 
sions who is not interested in the mission to tlie 
foreigners of our own city. I can not believe 

175 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

that any one is interested in the Negro prob- 
Jem of the South who is not interested in the 
Negro problem of our own town. I do not be- 
lieve that one of our citizens is truly interested 
in the poor, the sick, the sinful and suffering 
of other places who is showing no interest in 
the poor, the sick, sinful, and suffering ones at 
our own door. 

Help to make East St. Louis a cleaner city — 
physically, morally, and religiously. In so doing 
you help to make a cleaner and more righteous 
State. A cleaner State helps to make a cleaner 
nation. A nation made righteous helps to solve 
the problem of the redemption of the world. 



176 




"let us talk life insurance." — J. B. Maguire. 

Northwestern Mutual Life Ins. Co. 



LIFE INSURANCE 

"No man is sure of life." 

"Brethren, give diligence to make your call- 
ing and election sure." 

"The law of the Lord is perfect, converting 
the soul ; the testimony of the Lord is sure, mak- 
ing wise the simple." 

"Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth 
sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them 
that are Llis. And, Let every one that nameth 
the name of Christ depart from iniquity." 

Life is precious. The desire for life is uni- 
versal. When any person reaches the extreme 
condition of ceasing- to desire life for himself, 
or willing to destroy it in others, he is adjudged 
insane or criminal, and dealt with as an abnormal 
creature. The welfare of the public demands 
that he be taken by force, if necessary, and treated 
according to his peculiar affliction. He has 
ceased to be a blessing to society, and has be- 
come a menace. 

No price can be paid for a life, for it is not 
a marketable commodity. The Lord gave, the 
Lord can take away ; but only He who gave life 
has the right to take it. He may do this by one 
agency or another, but no one has a right to 
destroy that which they can not restore. 

Man's life in this world is transient. It can 

1/9 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

not endure. "The days of our years are three- 
score and ten, and if by reason of strength they 
be fourscore years, yet is their strength labor 
and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly 
aAvay." 

If ' each man lived to himself alone, death 
would end his obligations to earth. It is not 
so, for he may leave behind him those for whose 
very existence he is responsible and who have 
been, and still are, dependent upon him for their 
support and care. 

It was doubtless this fact which led to the 
institution of life insurance companies. We do 
not know when or by whom the first of these 
companies was organized. No doubt there have 
been in all generations of men those who sought 
to help each other in times of distress. At such 
times, no doubt, a sort of mutual agreement was 
entered into whereby each agreed to help the 
others. 

Suppose ten men, with their families, founded 
a new settlement. Among their agreements were 
these : that in time of crop failure, those who 
had plenty would "chip in" to help the one whose 
crop failed ; or, in case of accident or death, each 
would bear a portion of the expense. 

Probably it was from some such crude con- 
ditions as these that the great organizations of 
the present grew ; not by a single bound, but 
step by step the plan developed till the present 
stage of business management was reached. The 
i8o 



LIFE INSURANCE 

underlying principle has always been that the 
strong should help the weak, or that the more 
fortunate should bear a share of the burdens of 
his unfortunate brother. Still later was devel- 
oped the plan whereby one in the prime of life 
could prepare for support in the days of age 
and decline. 

Naturally, one would be more interested in 
his own family than in those of another, for the 
responsibility of his own household rests most 
heavil}^ upon him. It should be so. It is so by 
every law, both human and divine. Do not the 
Scriptures say, "If any provide not for his own, 
and specially for those of his own house, he hath 
denied the faith and is worse than an infidel?" 

There is much food for thought on the line 
of responsibility for the physical needs of one's 
family. Neglect to provide proper food and 
clothing for his children makes a man a criminal 
in the eyes of the law. But what shall we say 
of the man who makes no provision for the mind 
and soul of his child? Is he not a criminal in 
the sight of God? Will not the Lord hold him 
responsible for his criminal neglect? 

Life insurance is based upon the conclusion 
that death is certain. It also reasons that a man's 
duty and influence in this world do not termi- 
nate with the death of his body. I must die. 
\A"hat w^ill my wife and children do for food and 
clothing when I am dead? This solemn question 
confronts every thoughtful man. 
i8i 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

Should we not remember, also, that there is 
an eternal death with which we must reckon? 
and an eternal life for which we should prepare? 
And is it not of the utmost importance that we 
be reminded that our children have minds to 
cultivate, and souls to save, as well as bodies 
to feed and clothe? When you are called from 
earth, what impressions will you leave with your 
family? Will the children recall a father who 
honored God and taught their infant feet the 
paths of righteousness? Or must they bear, all 
through life's journey, the memory of a father 
whose name they blush to mention, and whose 
influence hangs like a mill-stone about their 
necks ? 

Long ago the wise man of Israel said, "A good 
name is rather to be chosen than great riches, 
and loving favor rather than silver and gold." 
So to-day the man who leaves a heritage of 
'■'silver and gold" to provide for the physical 
needs of his children has done well, but he 
who leaves the heritage of a "good name" has 
done a still greater service. 

Life insurance companies are governed by 
certain principles; and certain fixed rules are laid 
down in conformity to those principles. 

Is it not so in the insurance of the soul? 
Should it not be so? 

Would not an insurance company be called 
unjust — and deservedly so — if they issued a policy 
to one man on certain conditions, and a similar 
182 



LIFE INSURANCE 

policy to another on conditions more or less 
favora1)le? How long could such a company 
hope to maintain the respect and confidence of 
the people? 

If this be true of these companies, can we 
not see that our Heavenly Father — President, so 
to speak, of the Company who insures souls 
against eternal loss — must offer salvation to all 
men on the same conditions? There may be a 
varying degree of risk taken in the different in- 
dividual cases by the insurance companies ; there 
must be calculations upon longer or shorter 
periods of time ; then there may be different 
amounts of reward provided, according to the 
request or ability of the insured, but the prin- 
ciple involved must be the same in all cases. 
So God oft'ers to men varying degrees of service, 
sacrifices, and rewards; but His principles are 
unvarying, and His conditions of salvation are 
the same to every soul. 

The work of the insurance companies is car- 
ried on by different grades of workers, varying 
from the president of the company down to the 
office-boy. So the work of the Church — the insti- 
tution ordained of God to be His instrument in 
saving the souls of men — is carried on by various 
grades of workers. To resist God's call to salva- 
tion, and refuse His offered mercies because 
there is some one in the Church whom you do 
not like, or even in whom you have no confi- 
dence, is like refusing a valuable policy in a 

"183 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

reliable company because you do not like the 
office-boy or because the colored janitor is not 
to your liking. 

The opposite of this foolish man is the one 
who invests his earnings in a fake company 
simply to please some one who seems to be his 
friend; or the man who joins a Church, not be- 
cause that Church teaches God's truth and leads 
sinful men and women to Christ the Savior, but 
simply because some of its members belong to 
his social set, or because he desires their friend- 
ship to promote his political or financial interests. 
But remember: 

"Life is real, life is earnest, 

And the grave is not its goal. 

'Dust thou art, to dust returnest," 

A'Vas not spoken of the soul." 

The problems of life, death, and eternity are too 
serious a matter for such flippant treatment. 

Perhaps the greatest obstacle to be overcome 
by the insurance agent is indifiference. Men are 
careless of the future. 

This is certainly the problem of the Church. 
Infidelity is sometimes thought to be our greatest 
foe. Many young men start in the ministry with 
that impression. But the experience of years 
teaches us that few people are out of the Church 
because of infidelity, while a multitude are per- 
mitting their years to slip away in carelessness 
and indecision, believing the truth of God's 
184 



LIFE INSURANCE 

Word, expecting some day to seek Christ as their 
personal Savior, but faihng- at last through care- 
lessness and neglect. 

How sad the bitter cry, "The harvest is past, 
the summer is ended, and we are not saved !" 



185 



SALE DAY EVERY DAY 

"In six days the Lord made heaven and earth." 
"Give us this day our daily bread." 
"Buy the truth, and sell it not." 
"Son, go to v^ork to-day in My vineyard." 
"To-day, if ye will hear His voice, harden not 
your heart." 

"Go to now, ye that say, To-day or to-mor- 
row we will go into such a city, and continue 
there a year, and buy and sell and get gain; 
whereas ye know not what shall be on the mor- 
row. For what is your life? It is even a vapor 
that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth 
away." 

Life is not one continuous day. Almighty 
God in His infinite wisdom has seen fit to divide 
our lives into days, weeks, months, and years. 
Moreover, there are both longer and shorter di- 
visions of time. Moments, hours, mornings, 
afternoons, evenings ; business hours, lunch 
hours, recreation hours, make up the day. The 
year divides itself naturally into spring, summer, 
autumn, and winter. Likewise we divide life into 
childhood, youth, maturity, and old age. 

Each of these divisions serves a specific pur- 
pose. Each impresses an important lesson. 
Childhood teaches lessons which in old age we 
could not learn, while problems too deep for the 
i86 



>- 




Mt 


mttHgi • 


^B 'l a^^^H 




j 


^Bv 



MAMMA 'S BEEN SHOPPING." 



SALE DAY FA^ERY DAY 

days of youth are wisely reserved till the years 
of maturity. 

How anxiously children await their birth- 
days ! How long seem the months and years ! 
Later life changes these impressions. The years 
fiy on eagle's wings. How many of us have felt 
life repeating the poet's request : 

"Backward, turn backward, O Time, in thy flight ; 
Make me a child again, just for to-night !" 

But the cry is in vain. 

Poets and authors of every age have written 
in sweetest strains of the glories of the changing 
seasons. Orators have thrilled vast audiences in 
every clime with a portrayal of the charms of 
spring or autumn, or have contrasted the snowy 
beauty of winter with the waving grain of sum- 
mer. Thus have the seasons brought their les- 
sons. 

Perhaps the most impressive lessons taught 
by the divisions of time are the lessons of the 
day. "Day unto day uttereth speech, and night 
unto night sheweth knowledge," quoth the psalm- 
ist. 

How impressive is the dawn of a new day ! 
We wake from slumber refreshed, strengthened 
for the new duties. We greet a new creation. 
The light breaks. The birds sing. All nature 
is astir. It is a new d3.y. What will the day 
bring to you? 

The merchant says "every day" is a "sale 
189 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

day." What does he sell? Clothing for all the 
family, shoes, dresses, goods of various descrip- 
tions ; and every sale adds a blessing to some one. 
Many children have warm, dry feet because of 
the shoes sold on that day. A mother is com- 
forted, a child made happy, or a bride decked out 
in her most gorgeous array because of that "sale 
day." 

But look out upon our city. Ponder its prob- 
lems and attractions. Are there not other "sales" 
taking place daily? Sales of things more costly 
far than dresses, laces, or shoes. Is not man- 
hood sold daily? Is not virtue on the bargain 
counter? Do not men and women ofifer daily 
upon the markets of our city the priceless jewels 
of character? It is often said that "every man 
has his price." That is not true. There are men 
in East St. Louis who can't be bought. There 
are women whose "price is far above rubies. 
The heart of her husband doth safely trust in 
her." Thank God for the noble, the good, and 
the true ! But O, how many there are who can 
be bought for a price ! Many Esaus have "sold 
their birthright for a mess of pottage" or some 
other kind of a "mess." Many a Judas has taken 
the "thirty pieces of silver" or gold or paper for 
betraying his Lord. 

The opportunity to sell, the temptation to sell 

comes "every day" to some one. Has it come 

to you? It may — yea, it will come again and 

again. Unbidden, unwelcome though it be, the 

190 



SALE DAY EVERY DAY 

temptation to "sell out" persistently will come. 
Each day in different guise, each time with 
greater power and more seductive art, comes the 
temptation to sell that which can never be bought 
back. One falls. Another follows. He who was 
once your ideal lies low. She who was once the 
embodiment of purity is now a thing to be 
scorned. You lose heart and say, "There is none 
that doetli good; no, not one." Everybody sells; 
why should not I? 

O, bitter "sale day !" 

But you need not sell. The strongest and 
most charming characters are developed by re- 
sistance to temptation. 

Holland has beautifully stated it thus : 

"God loves not sin ; nor I : but in the throng 

Of evils that assail us, there are none 

That yield their strength to Virtue's struggling 

arm 
With such munificent reward of power 
As great temptations. We may win by toil 
Endurance ; saintly fortitude by pain ; 
By sickness, patience ; faith and trust by fear. 
But the great stimulus that spurs to life 
And crowds to generous development 
Each chastened power and passion of the soul 
Is the temptation of the soul to sin, 
Resisted and reconquered evermore." 

I have read somewhere of a naturalist who 

sought far and near for a specimen of a certain 

butterfly or moth, noted as the most beautiful 

of its species. He found, at last, a cocoon, and 

191 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

took it to his studio to watch its development. 
One day an opening was made in the hard shell, 
and the little creature began its battle for liberty. 
Again and again it struggled to force its body 
through the small aperture; but again and again 
seemed to give up the struggle. At last the kind- 
hearted naturalist took his penknife and chipped 
the edges of the shell. The little insect ceased 
its struggles, and slowly and easily crawled out 
into the light of day. Its body and wings de- 
veloped to full size and it flew about the room, 
but — it was not pretty. Then the man learned 
that it was the severe struggle through which 
the insect must pass in escaping from its shell 
that would force the currents of life through its 
body and to the very tips of its wings, and thus 
give them the tint of rare beauty which, without 
the struggle, they could never have. 

Is it not true in our lives? Do not the severest 
battles of life contribute most liberally to our 
development? 

Take courage, O tempted soul ! It is a test 
which will leave you stronger and better when 
you have overcome. 

There is another side to this proposition. 
"Sale day" to the merchant means "bargain day" 
to the customer. So in life "every day" may be 
a "bargain day." Each day there are new graces 
to be won. Each day new conquests to gain. 
Each day, as the curtains of night fall about you, 
you should be richer than when the day dawned. 
192 



SALE DAY EVERY DAY 

Not richer in dollars only — though that is com- 
mendable, if honestly and honorably won ; but 
richer in character, richer in knowledge, richer 
in good deeds done to the toilers and sufferers 
of life's way. 

"Count that day lost whose low descending sun 
Views from thy hand no worthy action done." 

In whatever path of life your way may lead, 
you will find that bargains await you. Many 
pass them blindly by; others, with keener vision, 
see them on every hand and accept them. 

Boys, this is "bargain day" at school. I saw, 
some time ago, an estimate made by some one 
who had taken the time and pains to figure it 
out, that each day spent in school meant, on an 
average, ten dollars added to one's earning ca- 
pacity in life. How correct his figures were, I 
do not know; but this I do know, that every 
school day well spent in faithful study is a "bar- 
gain day" whose investments will bring worthy 
returns in later 3^ears. "Wisdom is the principal 
thing; therefore get Avisdom, and with all thy get- 
ting get understanding." Thorough preparation 
for life's duties is an investment, the full value 
of which no one can tell. 

Two painters take each the same amount of 
canvas and materials. Each paints a picture. 
One sells for ten dollars, the other for a hundred 
thousand. Why? Because that is the price of 
the time, labor, brains, and skill that each has 
13 193 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

wrought into his picture. So with every work 
of man. 

You perhaps have heard this ilhistration: 
Five dollars' worth of iron is wrought into horse- 
shoes ; the blacksmith gets ten dollars for them. 
He has put five dollars' worth of time, labor, and 
skill into the product. The cutler takes the same 
amount of iron and makes it into knives. He gets 
two hundred dollars for them. The machinist 
makes the same amount into needles : they are 
worth six thousand dollars. A similar amount 
of iron in the hands of the watchmaker is trans- 
formed into hair-springs, and he gets two million 
dollars for his product, which is sixty times the 
value of its weig'ht in gold. The material was 
worth the same in each case, but the knowledge 
and skill of the workman determined the price 
of the product. Can you estimate the value of 
each day those boys spent in preparation for their 
work ? 

Every day is ''bargain day" in the ranks of 
honest toil. ''Labor is its own best reward." 
How expressive these words from one of our 
favorite poets : 

"I see a youth whom God has crowned with 

power, 
And cursed with poverty. With bravest heart 
He struggles with his lot through toilsome 

years, — 
Kept to his task by daily want of bread, 
And kept to virtue by his daily task, 

194 



SALE DAY EVERY DAY 

Till, gaining manhood in the manly strife, — 
The fire that fills him smitten from a flint, — 
The strength that arms him wrested from a 

fiend, — 
He stands at last a master of himself, 
And, in that grace, a master of mankind." 

Teacher, this is "bargain day" in the school- 
room. Your salary may be small — alas ! it often 
is. I have never seen a good teacher who re- 
ceived the pay they were worth. A poor teacher 
is dear at any price. But there are other con- 
siderations than salary. Boys and girls there are 
who sit at your feet to-day to receive — not merely 
the instruction from the text-books, but — the im- 
press of your own personality. Consciously or 
unconsciously, you are wielding an influence over 
the minds of your scholars which will go with 
them through life. Soon they will be men and 
women. The impress you have made upon them 
will be passed on to others ; thus the good or 
evil of your influence will be perpetuated. 

"All are architects of fate, 

Working in these walls of time ; 
Some with massive deeds and great, 

Some with ornaments of rhyme. 
For the structure that we raise, 

Time is with materials filled ; 
Our to-days and yesterdays 

Are the blocks with which we build." 

The busy marts of trade ofifer opportunities for 
greater bargains than those which are weighed, 

195 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

measured, wrapped, and passed over the counter. 
The proprietor is not only a merchant. He is a 
man. It is a great thing to be a merchant : it 
is a greater thing to be a man. As a merchant, 
he can give bargains in merchandise. As a man, 
he can give bargains in manhood. Every busi- 
ness man should mean more to the community 
as a man than as a merchant. 

Time and space would fail us to tell of the 
opportunities for doing good which come to the 
doctor, the lawyer, the minister, and a host of 
others. We hope enough has been said to cause 
each to meditate upon the ''bargains" which life 
presents to them, and stimulate each to the ful- 
fillment of his highest duties. 

The greatest bargain this life offers is the 
opportunity for building character. 

Our minds are God-given, but character must 
be homemade. We may achieve wealth, position, 
or pleasure ; the good things of the world may 
be ours, and still when we stand at the bar of 
God, Avhere character is the standard of weights 
and measures, we may be found so light and 
frivolous that the scales of justice will tilt us up 
to where the breezes of destruction will waft us 
away from the presence of God ; or our sins may 
weigh us down till we slip off the scales over 
the brink of despair, hearing only the sad words, 
"weighed in the balances, and found wanting." 



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WHAT DO YOU DO WITH YOUR MONEY? 

"Wherefore do ye spend your money for that 
which is not bread? and your labor for that which 
satisfieth not?" 

''After a long time the lord of those servants 
cometh, and reckoneth with them." 

''Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and 
hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein ; and 
when th}^ herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy 
silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou 
hast is multiplied; then thine heart be lifted up, 
and thou forget the Lord thy God." 

Most people spend much time and thought 
upon the question, "How can I get money?" 

The merchant thinks of goods, of suits, coats, 
and dresses, or of groceries, meats, and vegeta- 
bles, and fruits. But back of all these is the 
thought of money. How much do they cost? 
At what price must they be sold to insure a 
profit ? 

The farmer views his acres of waving grain, 
or herds of cattle or sheep. He may see the 
beauty of the sunshine on woods and hills ; may 
breathe deep of the pure air that sends the thrill 
of vitality through his frame ; but ever present 
is the thought of money. How many bushels 
per acre will that crop yield? and what will be 
199 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

the market price? How much do those cattle 
weigh, and what is the condition of the market? 

The laborer goes to work in early morning 
hours, returning at nightfall tired and hungry, 
but throughout the busy hours he keeps the 
thought of pay-day before him. The reward of 
his labor — what shall it be? 

The real-estate dealer looks for favorably- 
located suburbs, where happy homes may be 
founded; but the question of price is ever before 
him. The banker thinks of money, handles 
money, receives and distributes money. 

The lawyer ponders the problems of law : the 
admissibility of evidence, the credibility of wit- 
nesses, the statutes of limitations — but the ques- 
tion of fees is always prominent. The doctor, 
teacher, and preacher ; the busy housewife, and 
even the children, are interested in money. 

This is not a criticism, but a simple statement 
of fact. Getting money is an important matter. 

The business man whose "ad" attracts our 
attention to-day raises an equally important ques- 
tion, "What do you do with your money?" 

We are not now concerned about how you 
earned your money, nor of how much you have. 
The question is, '"What do you do with it?" 

From three well-defined classes of men we 
may receive three distinct replies. 

We will ask first of the miser, "What do you 
do with your money?" and he replies, "I hoard 
it. I keep all I get ; and get all I can." 
200 



WHAT DO YOl^ DO WTTTT YOUR MONEY? 

The folly of the miser should be apparent to 
all. He spends his years in toiling-, scheming, 
and saving, only to die and leave the record of 
a wasted life, and a pile of gold for his heirs and 
their lawyers to quarrel over. He withdraws 
from the channels of trade every dollar he can, 
and thus for the time being makes the world 
poorer. Not only so, but he crushes the useful- 
ness and sweetness out of his own life and refuses 
the cheer, comfort, and help which the Great De- 
signer planned that each should give to his fellow- 
men. 

I once saw a picture which I shall never 
forget. A miser, with claw-like hands and rigid 
face, was raking up a pile of gold to store away 
in a safe, while outside stood shivering and starv- 
ing children whom he might have fed and clothed. 
The miser remarked, 'T am laying aside some- 
thing for a rainy day." In the corner of this pic- 
ture was another representing the "rainy day." 
A hearse was dragging heavily through the mud 
and rain, bearing the body of the miser. The 
furnishings were costly, but the mourners were 
few. To how much better use could he have put 
his money ! 

His children may erect a monument over his 
grave as a mark of honor, but it will only per- 
petuate his shame ; for passers-by will shake their 
heads and inwardly curse their oppressor. 

How shall this man answer at the bar of God 
for the good he did not do? 
201 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

Shall he not hear the awful words : "T was 
hungry, and ye fed Me not. Depart — " 

Worse than the miser is the spendthrift. He 
is often hailed as a "good fellow;" but is he? 
We are told that he is unselfish and "liberal ;" 
but is it not true that he is more selfish than 
the miser? The miser delights in the possession 
of his gold, the spendthrift in what his gold can 
buy. The form of the pleasure differs, but it 
reveals the same selfish spirit. 

The miser withdraws his money from the 
channels of trade and of charity, and thus makes 
the world poorer. The spendthrift pours his gold 
into the channels of vice and debauchery, and 
thus makes the world worse. Every evil thing 
under the sun thrives on the money of the spend- 
thrift. Divert that money into its proper channel, 
and every vile institution would die of starvation. 

If men in general were to become misers, it 
would paralyze trade, do away with education, 
art, and refinement, and freeze to a solid every 
charitable, philanthropic, and religious institu- 
tion. If they became spendthrifts it would fill 
the cofifers of the vile, fatten vice of every de- 
scription, and bring in the reign of luxury and 
debauchery. Were they evenly divided, between 
these "upper and nether mill-stones," every lofty 
purpose, every elevating influence, and every in- 
stitution for the betterment of humanity would be 
ground to powder. 

As "the golden mean" between these two 
202 



WHAT DO YOU DO WITH YOUR MONEY? 

extremes you will find the sensible, conservative 
yet progressive, rational man. Let us ask him 
the question, ''What do you do with your 
money?" and he answers, "I use it." 

He supplies the needs of his family. The 
grocer finds him a profitable customer. The 
clothier and furniture dealer sell him their goods. 
He buys some real estate, and puts a little money 
in the bank. He is interested in the school, the 
club, and the Church, and from his limited sup- 
ply he spends a modest sum in the loving deeds 
of charity. 

Such men are the bone and sinew — yea, the 
very life-blood — of our Christian civilization. The 
good state of afifairs prevailing in our dear land 
is due to men of this type. Every good move- 
ment has their sanction, and every good institu- 
tion draws upon them for support. Happy that 
communit}^ whose men use their money ! 

But even well-disposed people — yea, many 
good, Christian people — are haphazard and un- 
certain in the use of their money. Most of us 
do not spend our money according to a well- 
settled purpose, but are led to this or that ex- 
penditure by the persuasion of others, or to 
gratify a passing whim. 

The average man draws his pay and starts 
for home. He meets a beggar. The kindlier 
impulses of his heart prevail, and he drops a 
coin in the hand of the unfortunate one. He 
sees an article in a display window, and thinks 

20'\ 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

his wife or child would be pleased with that. 
He buys it. Then he pays some bills which have 
accumulated. ''The butcher, the baker, and the 
candlestick maker" must all be paid, for he is an 
honest man. 

He turns a sum of money over to his wife, 
and she, too, starts out on an aimless quest of 
spending. 

They go to Church, perhaps, and throw into 
the box any coin they happen to have. A child 
comes to the door with tickets for the concert, 
ball, or raffle. They may or may not intend to 
go, but it is a neighbor's child, and they do not 
wish to offend them. Soon the money is gone, 
and the wage-earner goes back to his task with 
a tinge of disappointment. Most of the money 
has been spent for good things, but they feel 
somehow they have not realized the pleasure and 
satisfaction from it that they should. 

Is there not a better way? I think so. Let 
us go to the Bible. In this, as in all things, the 
Bible way is best. 

Let us first get a clear view of the situation. 
We are living in a world where all things are 
provided for our comfort and well-being. A 
world! Whose world? Who created it? Who 
maintains it? Who fitted it for our comfort and 
well-being? 

Man is great ; but there is a Greater. Man can 
do much to develop the crude material which he 
fmds about him ; but he did not and could not 
204 



AVHAT DO YOU DO WITH YOUR MONEY? 

create the material. Man can plow the fields, 
plant the seeds, and cultivate the growing crop 
to increase its yield or develop its finer qualities, 
but man can not cause the sun to shine, nor stay 
the flood, nor direct the lightning's flash. Man 
can take the raw materials and manufacture them 
into articles of usefulness. He can spin the wool 
or cotton, and weave it into cloth. He can melt 
the ore and cast the metal into molds to form 
articles of usefulness or of beauty. But the 
materials he uses, the forces he controls, and the 
powers he exercises are given of God. Yea, even 
his own life and health and strength are God- 
given. 

There is a verse over in Genesis, long over- 
looked by the world, which, like some long-lost 
treasure or work of art, should be brought forth 
and made to adorn our lives. It should be printed 
in letters of gold and hung upon the wall of every 
office, shop, and business house in the land. It 
is this : 

"THOU SHALT NOT FORGET 
THE LORD THY GOD: FOR IT 
IS HE THAT GIVETH THEE 
POWER TO GET WEALTH." 

\Yg know this to be true ; yet how often w^e 
forget it ! 

Now, if God, our loving Father, provides the 
materials, grants us the brain and muscle, and 
20 s 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

thus gives us the power to get wealth, will He 
not also direct us in the best expenditure of that 
wealth? Has He provided all these things for 
His children, and is He not then concerned in 
our enjoyment of them? 

With these thoughts clearly in mind, take up 
again the question, "What do you do with your 
money?" Do you earn it, and do you spend it 
as a sacred thing, God-given, and to be accounted 
for? 

Many lessons are given us of God in His 
Word to show that He is interested in our mak- 
ing and spending money. The "Parable of the 
Talents" has a financial as well as a spiritual 
significance. Do we remember that He said, 
"After a long time the lord of those servants 
cometh and reckoneth with them?" Do we keep 
the "reckoning time" in view? 

Why are we not as familiar with the third 
chapter of Malachi as we are with the third of 
John? Is it not also the Word of God? 

Some reader will say, "I am honest and just 
and charitable in my dealings, and that is all God 
requires." Let us see. 

Suppose you have a farm to rent. I come to 
you and make a bargain for that farm. We agree 
upon terms. There are one hundred acres of 
the land. I am to pay five dollars per acre rent. 
That would be five hundred dollars. This sum 
is due when the crops are harvested. I take 
possession of your farm. Remember, it is your 
206 



WHAT DO YOU DO AVITH YOUR MONEY? 

farm, not mine. I move into your house. I put 
my stock into your barn. I plow your fields; 
and use all the conveniences you have provided. 
Moreover, you come many times during the year 
to put the buildings and fences in order, furnish 
certain seeds, and do much to make my work a 
success. 

I go to the village merchants and say : "I am 
a poor man, but I have rented this farm. I will 
not have much money till I market my crops. 
I want you to credit me." They consent. I 
work hard. The crops grow. Good wheat. Good 
oats. Good corn. The stock grow and fatten. 
I harvest the grain and take it to market. Prices 
are good. I am prosperous. 

I go the rounds. I pay the butcher for the 
meat I have bought. I pay the grocer. I settle 
every bill I owe. Perhaps I even remember to 
thank those business men for their favors. As 
I go away, the merchant turns to his clerks and 
says, "That 's an honest man." A clerk replies : 
"Yes, and he is so pleasant and appreciative. He 
always thanks you for a favor, and does n't growl 
or swear at you if you do n't happen to please 
him. It 's a pleasure to wait upon customers 
like him." They agree that I 'm about what a 
man should be. 

I buy some needful thing's for each member of 
m}^ family. I add a few presents. My wife com- 
mends me. My children are proud of me. I am 
pretty well satisfied with myslf. 
207 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

Then I meet you. I greet you cordially. I 
express rriy appreciation of your farm. I want 
to rent it for another year. I commend you as 
a landlord. You have been good to mie. 

I get liberal. I draw out my pocketbook and 
say: "I am so grateful to you. You have fur- 
nished me a good farm. I have prospered. I 
am going to make you a present. Here is a 
hundred dollars, good money, gold coin." 

You take it, look it over, but seem to lack 
appreciation. The hot blood leaps to your face. 
You choke back the indignation and contempt 
you feel, and carefully controlling your voice, 
ask in mild but disappointed tones : ''But where 
are the other four hundred? Was it not my farm 
you rented? Did you not raise these crops on 
my land ? I 'm not asking for a gift, but will you 
not be honest? Will you not please pay your 
rent?" 

Brother, you have been living on God's green 
earth. His bright sunshine and gentle showers 
have made glad the fields for you. He has given 
you "the power to get wealth." He has given you 
that strong arm, that clear brain, that sound body. 
He has supplied all your needs. Have you paid 
your rent? 

You have been honest with your fellow-men. 

That is commendable. You have even given a 

hundred dollars to the Church. That is good, as 

far as it goes. But can you make Him a present 

208 



WHAT DO YOU DO AVITH YOUR MONEY? 

before you pay your obligations? Have you 
brought your "tithes into the storehouse?" 

Do you treat God's cause and God's ministers 
as paupers? Do you toss them a coin as you 
do the beggar on the street, and then flatter your- 
self that you have done well? Will God be 
pleased with such an act? Will He bless you 
in such a charity? 

We hear much of the decline in candidates 
for the ministry. Young men — the brightest, 
best, and most capable young men — are turning 
away from the pulpit. Every Church has the 
same difficulty. It is not a matter of the decline 
of some particular creed. AVhat is the trouble? 
We are told that this is a mercenary age. That 
young men are seeking vocations which pay 
larger salaries. That they are less religious, less 
heroic than in other days. That is a mistake. 
I will tell you where the trouble lies. 

Young men of good metal, of strong charac- 
ters, of sensitive natures — as men must be to be- 
come successful ministers — simply can not bear 
the shame and humiliation of being regarded as 
paupers. It is not the small amount of money 
they receive, but the spirit in which it is given, 
that repels them. 

Why do ministers' sons so often leave the 
Church? It is not generally because they have 
no faith in their father's and mother's religion ; 

no, for they speak in tenderest terms of those 
^4 209 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

noble lives. It is because they were made sick 
at heart, and their manly pride was wounded, by 
being regarded as paupers and having their noble 
fathers and loving mothers thus humiliated. 

Why do men — business men, men of great 
hearts, strong minds, and noble characters. — so 
often look with contempt upon the Church? The 
expression of one such man, published in one of 
our Church papers not long ago, is true of a 
great many : 'T never thought so much of Christ, 
nor so little of the Church, as I do now." Christ 
has not lost His power, but the Church has, to 
a great degree. Why? Very largely because of 
this financial failure. 

It is time the voice of a Malachi was heard, 
crying, "Bring ye all the tithes [one-tenth, God's 
portion, God's rent] into the storehouse, that 
there may me meat in Mine house, and prove Me 
now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will 
not open you the windows of heaven and pour 
you out a blessing that there will not be room 
enough to receive it." God will honor His people 
if they will only recognize and honor Him. 
''Honor the Lord with thy substance and with 
the firstfruits of all thine increase. So shall thy 
barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall 
burst out with new wine." These promises have 
never been revoked, but the conditions are still 
the same. AVhen we meet the conditions, the 
promises will be fulfilled. 

Go back now to the miser. "What do you 

210 



WHAT DO YOU DO WITH YOUR MONEY? 

do with your money?" "I hoard it." "Do you 
take out the tithe that belongs to God, and use 
it in promoting- His cause?" "No, I keep all 
I get, and get all I can." "Do you expect God 
to bless you in this life, and then welcome you 
to a home in heaven?" "No. Money is my god. 
I shall cling to it through life, till it sinks my 
soul in hell." 

You spendthrift ! "What do you do with your 
money?" "I squander it." "Do you pay God's 
tithe?" "No. I don't owe Him anything. I'm 
not a Church member." 

No, you are not a Church member, but you are 
just as dependent upon God as the best Christian 
upon earth. "It is He that giveth thee the power 
to get wealth." The money that you are spend- 
ing at the bar, the money your are squandering 
at the gambling table, the money you are lavish- 
ing upon the inmates of the dens of vice, is God's 
money. It belongs to the sanctuary. It is the 
money which God entrusted to you to be used in 
feeding the hungry, clothing the destitute child, 
ministering to the sick and dying, and carrying 
the gospel of the crucified Christ to a lost and 
sinful world. But you have taken it — taken it 
to squander upon your own lusts. "Will a man 
rob God? Yet ye have robbed Me, saith the 
Lord of hosts." 

You have heard of a man who would steal 
his children's shoes and pawn them to get money 
to spend upon his own appetite ; that 's awful. 

211 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

But what do you think of a man who will take 
the sacred money of the sanctuary of God and 
squander it in vileness and sin? ''Thou art the 
man/' ye spendthrift ! 

But what of you, my friend? You honest 
man, good citizen, member of the Church, friend 
of the ministry, you — even you, "What do you 
do with your money?" "I use it." "Yes, but 
how do you use it? and how much of it?" Is 
it possible you have been so forgetful, so careless, 
or so selfish that you have not even set aside 
the tithe of your income for the cause you love? 
God knows your heart. You do love God. You 
tell Him so. You tell others so. Each morning 
upon bended knees you thank Him for the light 
of a new day, and seek His guidance and wisdom. 
Three times a day you return thanks for your 
daily bread. At evening you seek His forgive- 
ness and peace as you retire for the night. Your 
lips bear testimony to His redeeming grace, and 
your good life backs up your testimony. All this 
He knows and appreciates ; yea. He rewards you 
openly. But, — "What do you do with your 
money?" or rather, "with His money?" 

While the heathen grope in darkness, pleading 
for the light you could send ; while hungry ones 
cry for the bread you could give ; while sick 
and suffering ones toss upon beds of illness, pray- 
ing for the relief you could send ; while young 
men whom God has called to the minstry are 
driven from the pulpit, and children stray from 

212 



WHAT DO YOU DO WITH YOUR MONEY? 

the fold as sheep without a shepherd, — "\Miat are 
you doing with your money?" 

Not as a "charity ;" not grudgingly, or of ne- 
cessity ; not as a disagreeable duty which you 
force yourself to do, and are glad when it is over, 
but as an act of worship, as a joyful tribute, a 
"love offering" to your crucified Lord, bring — 
not simply a "legal tenth," but of your choicest 
and best, the "gold, frankincense, and myrrh." 



213 



THE JOURNEY OF LIFE 

''Lay hold on eternal life." 

"'What is your life? It is even a vapor that 
appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth 
away." 

''Whatsoever ye would that men should do to 
you, do ye even so to them." 

"Hereby perceive we the love of God, be- 
cause He laid down His life for us ; and we 
ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." 

"Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give 
thee a crown of life." 

The picture introducing this chapter is worthy 
of study. The boys in the foreground are start- 
ing on a long journey — their first journey out 
into the big, busy, sinful, surging world. They 
are going to attend a great event — the inaugura- 
tion of a new President. They will meet with 
great men and women. They will behold great 
and impressive works of God and man. They 
are being rewarded for a good work. We rejoice 
with them. 

How these young men remind us of a great 
company of young people who are starting on the 
journey of life ! Everywhere, in country, village, 
and city, there are companies, great and small, 
of bright 3^oung men and women who are making 
their first ventures in the real, active, trying life 

21/1 




These boys were sent by Congressman Rodenberg to attend the inauguration of President Wilson, 
as a reward for having produced the largest yield of corn per acre, in their respective counties. 



LIFE'S JOURNF.Y 

of this bllS3^ whirling world. To you we would 
speak. You are starting on a longer and more 
glorious — and more awful — ^journey than these. 
Years, we trust, will elapse ere your journey of 
life will end. 

You, too, will meet with great and good men 
and women. You, too, will behold the great 
works of men, and greater works of God. You 
will be rewarded for your good works ; though 
we need often to be reminded that : 

"Nothing great is lightly won; 
Nothing won is lost. 
Every good deed, nobly done, 
Will repay the cost." 

Others you will meet on life's journey who 
will oppose you, who will betray you, who will 
take advantage of you in every possible way. 

Then, there is another class of persons with 
whom you will meet — a very large class they are, 
and some of them you will meet each day — we 
refer to those whom you in some way can help. 

We commend, as your equipment for life's 
journey, the true Christian spirit. We do not 
mean simply Christianity as a form of worship, 
but the real spirit of Christ, as the motive power 
in your daily life. 

The religious instinct, so far as it concerns 
the desire to save one's own soul, is universal. 
Not in Christian lands alone does this desire 
reign. It is as widespread as the human race. 

217 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

No nation has ever been found that has no re- 
ligion. Many forms are very crude, yet we must 
needs say, as Paul did to the Athenians, 'T per- 
ceive that in all things ye are exceedingly re- 
ligious." Missionaries of the Cross in many lands 
must repeat His proposition, "Whom therefore 
ye ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you." 

"The heathen in his blindness," who "bows 
down to wood and stone," is perhaps manifesting 
as best he knows his desire to worship. He 
brings an offering to appease the wrath of his 
god, and purchase immunity from punishment for 
his sins. He desires to save his own soul, to 
reach heaven as he understands it. The heathen 
mother who casts her babe into the Ganges, and 
those who afflict their bodies, with the thought 
of thus purifying their souls, are manifesting their 
desire to secure their own salvation. 

The peculiarity of Christianity is manifest in 
this : a desire, not only to save himself, but others. 
You have heard of the Irishman who was once 
asked, "What would you do if this boat were to 
sink?" and who promptly replied, "Sure, I'd 
swim ashore and save meself, first; then come 
back and save the rest." We smile at Pat's crude 
expression ; but is it not a true picture of man's 
natural impulse? to save self first, then — if pos- 
sible — to save otherc? 

"Self-preservation," we are told, "is the first 
law of nature," That may be true; but self- 
sacrifice is the first law of grace. 
218 



LIFF^S JOURNEY 

Moses prayed that the Lord mig-ht blot him 
out of the book, if thereby the nation might be 
saved. Paul, the great apostle, cries, "Brethren, 
my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel 
is, that they might be saved," and adds that he 
could wish himself accursed from Christ if he 
could but be assured of the salvation of the souls 
of his people. This desire is characteristic of the 
Christian people. 

St. John says, "If a man say, I love God, and 
hate his brother, he is a liar." Rather than this 
he says, "Beloved, if God so loves us, we ought 
also to love one another." Moreover, he makes 
this a test of our salvation, "We know that we 
have passed from death unto life," — how? — "be- 
cause we love the brethren. He that loveth not 
his brother, abideth in death." 

Jesus taught this as the very essence of His 
gospel, linking inseparably the love of God and 
the love of our fellow-man. When one came to 
Him with the question. "Which is the first com- 
mandment of all?" He replied, "Thou shalt love 
the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with 
all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all 
thy strength ; this is the first commandment : and 
the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love 
thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other 
commandment greater than these." 

If a man truly love God, he will love his fel- 
low-men. And since "Love worketh no ill to his 
neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the 
law." 219 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

Herein is the solution of the whole problem 
of the world's redemption. Home missions, for- 
eign missions, the elevation of the down-trodden 
masses, the banishment of every vile institution, 
the purification of politics, the conversion of the 
world, with all the attendant blessings to body, 
mind, and soul, must all be accomplished through 
love to God and to our fellow-man. 

It is the panacea for all the ills of the world. 
It will make the thief honest ; for if he come to 
love his fellow-man as himself, he will not take 
what belongs to another. It will disarm the mur- 
derer ; for if he loves his fellow-man, he will not 
destroy his life. It will stop the mouth of slan- 
der; for if a man (or woman) love his (or her) 
fellow-man (or woman) he (or she) will not 
breathe the vile slime of slander. And so, 
through the whole catalogue of evils, the anti- 
dote will be found in the love of God. 

It is significant that above the heads of the 
boys in the picture there is the window upon 
which a business firm has inscribed suggestions 
for the investment in real estate or insurance, or 
both. This firm has a slogan which reads, "It 
is mean of you to go to heaven, while they go 
to the poorhouse." 

The man who truly loves God will love his 
family; and one who loves his family will seek 
to provide for their temporal and spiritual wel- 
fare. He will not, therefore, spend his money 
for booze, and pour it down his own throat to 
220 



LIFE'S JOURNEY 

gratify a worse than beastly appetite, while his 
family are left imcared for and unprotected. He 
Avill not enjoy blowing his pay-check away in 
curls of blue smoke, or wrecking his life in dissi- 
pation, content with the thought that "the poor- 
house" will provide a shelter for his helpless 
family when he is gone. That would be "mean 
of him," indeed. Such a man can sometimes be 
found with his name on a Church record, but 
such a man can not be a Christian, and has no 
right 'to expect to "go to heaven." If he does ex- 
pect it, he is doomed to eternal disappointment. 
Some other things would be "mean of you" 
as you go on this journey of life. It would be 
"mean of you" to try to succeed by pulling others 
down. Do n't do it. Our Heavenly Father has 
made this world big enough for all, and provided 
it with an abundance for every one. It would be 
"mean of you" to keep those down whom you 
could help. Do n't do that. Remember the "good 
Samaritan." The priest was religious — at least, 
formally so — but he "passed by on the other side" 
when he saw the man in distress. It was "mean 
of him." The Levite was a very learned man- 
as the world counts wisdom — but he did no bet- 
ter. The Samaritan was not noted for either 
learning or piety, but he saw a stranger in need, 
and helped him. Jesus says, "Go, and do thou 
likewise." Thus will your journey of life be a 
success. Many shall rise up and call you blessed, 
and the Master Himself shall say, "Well done." 

221 



LIGHT AND POWER 

''And God said, Let there be light." 

"I am the Light of the world." 

"Ye are the light of the world." 

"Let your light so shine before men that they 
may see your good works, and glorify your 
Father which is in heaven." 

"Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy 
Ghost is come upon you ; and ye shall be wit- 
nesses unto Me, both in Jerusalem and in all 
Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost 
part of the earth." 

What a glorious theme has the East St. Louis 
Light & Power Co. furnished — though all uncon- 
sciously — to the thoughtful student of God's deal- 
ings with men ! 

This company furnishes light — electric light — 
to shine away the darkness from the busy toiler, 
the gay reveler, or the silent, faithful watcher. 

Not only do they furnish light, that we may 
see and know ; they also furnish power, that we 
may be, and go. 

How suggestive are these facts to one given 
to reflection upon the deeoer soiritual aspects of 
human experience ! 

In the very first verse of the Bible we read, 
"In the beginning God created the heaven and 
the earth." Just how He did it is too deep a 
problem for us to solve. 

222 



LIGHT AND POWER 

We do not oppose the scientist who, with un- 
tiring zeal and tremendous mental energy, seeks 
to wrest from the rocks and hills, from the coral 
reefs of ocean, and from the silent, unyielding 
regions of perpetual ice, all the secrets he may 
learn of God's creation. But how pitifully small, 
after multiplied generations of men have lived, 
labored, and died, is our knowledge of this world 
in which we live ! 

Just when God created the world, we do not 
know, nor how long were the six ages, or days, in 
which the work was done. What gigantic and 
incomprehensible forces God brought into opera- 
tion, or what myriads of angels and other im- 
mortal beings were employed in its completion, 
only the records of the Supreme Architect will 
reveal. 

In the third verse we read the first recorded 
utterance of Jehovah, "And God said, Let there 
be light." The divine command is obeyed. Light 
dawns upon the infant earth. 

The tongue or pen which seeks to enumerate 
and describe the blessings which light has 
brought to earth attempts an impossible task. 
We know its blessings are manifold, and sur- 
passing human knowledge. We rejoice in all 
we do know; and what we do not understand 
we meekly receive, as a child receives the loving 
care of a tender parent, and in return we give 
Him our all — all He asks, or desires — all we have 
to give — our love. 

15 225 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

But half of our lifetime we are shrouded in 
darkness. It is doubtless better so, for all God's 
providences are best. Yet in His infinite wisdom 
the loving Father saw that exceptions should 
be made; just as an earthly father knows that 
it is best for most of his children to lie in a 
room that is dark, that they may gain refresh- 
ing sleep, yet keeps the light burning in the room 
of the suffering one till its abnormal condition 
can be remedied. So He has stored away some- 
where in the secret chambers of earth and air 
the subtle power we call electricity. 

This God-given force it is the province of this 
and similar companies to bring forth from its 
hiding to furnish light and power for the use of 
man. Let us thank the Giver of all good for this 
gift also, and see that we use it as becometh 
the people of God. 

John, the beloved apostle, in the first chapter 
of his Gospel, tells of the coming to earth of 
God's Son — the Crown Prince of Heaven — who 
came to reveal to man all that man could com- 
prehend of God and of His will. In breaking 
the news of His advent, John says, 'That was 
the true Light, which lighteth every man." 

When this Child of Bethlehem was grown to 
manhood, and the messages of God the Father 
were falling from His lips, He cried, "Ye are the 
light of the world; a city that is set on a hill 
can not be hid; neither do men light a candle and 
put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, and 
226 



LIGHT AND POWER 

it sriveth lio-ht unto all that are in the house. Let 
your light so shine before men that they may 
see your good works, and glorify your Father 
which is in heaven." 

The business of every disciple from that day 
to this has been, and to the end of time shall be, 
to receive light from Him Avho is the Light, and 
to bear the light He gives to those that are in 
darkness. 

Volumes have been written, volumes more 
could and should be written, on the various 
phases of light and darkness. Our space will 
permit the mention of but a few. 

Ignorance is darkness — mental darkness. Er- 
ror is the child of ignorance. Truth alone can 
banish error. God has planted within the human 
soul a hunger, a longing for Himself. The 
psalmist exclaimed. "My heart and my flesh 
crieth out for the living God!" In all ages men 
have felt their need of Him, as the helpless babe 
needs the nourishment and' care that only a 
mother can supply. They have ever been grop- 
ing in the dark for Him. Ignorance has hindered 
their seeking. Error and superstition have fur- 
nished substitutes in all generations. In early 
days it was the crude idols of wood and stone. 
The heavenly bodies, sun, moon, and stars, and 
the forces of nature were deified. The classic 
mythologies of Greece and Rome had their day. 
Jupiter, Mars, Venus, and a host of other names 
are still familiar in connection with the spirit 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

world. To-day the idols of lust and mammon 
reign in the hearts of the ignorant and vicious. 

Successive generations have overthrow^n the 
false gods of their fathers, as Gideon cut down 
the groves and destroyed the idols of Joash. 

Truth alone can dispel ignorance and put error 
to flight. But many have asked, as did Pilate, 
"What is truth ?" So many things, once thought 
to be true, have proven untrue, that men have 
grown distrustful. The answer of Jesus remains 
the conclusive answer, 'T am the Way, the Truth, 
and the Life." All the opposition of the cen- 
turies has been hurled against Him ; but the 
sentence of every impartial judge to the present 
day is that of the one before whom He stood, 
*T find no fault in Him." 

Wherever men have received Christ and His 
teaching, the statement of the psalmist has been 
verified, "The entrance of Thy words giveth 
light." Ignorance and superstition slink away 
from the light of Christ, as the shadows of night 
flee before the rising sun. 

Sorrow is a darkness which at times clouds 
every path. Failures, betrayals, bereavements, 
bringf successive clouds of sorrow. I do not mar- 
vel that men lose heart. 

It has always been so. 

King David, one of the greatest characters 
of history, either sacred or profane ; David, of 
whom it was said, "The Lord hath sought him, 
a man after His own heart ;" David, the great 



LIGHT AND POWER 

king and sweet psalmist of Israel, had his dark 
hours. See him as he flees from his enemies and 
hides himself in the cave ; turning his face to the 
wall, and giving way to his grief, he cries in 
bitterest agony, "No man cared for my soul !" 
Has not that sad cry echoed from breaking hearts 
the world around? "Nobody cares for me!" 

Elijah the prophet, after his great victory on 
Mt. Carmel, gave way and fled to the wilderness. 
Throwing himself upon the ground beneath the 
juniper tree, he wailed, "It is enough ; now, O 
Lord, take away my life." 

Turn, then, to Calvary. Behold the "Man of 
Sorrows" as He dies upon the cross. As the 
darkness gathers, and the very foundations of the 
earth tremble, hear that cry of despair, "My God ! 
My God ! Why hast Thou forsaken Me?" 

If these great men of God, and even the Savior 
Himself, were overwhelmed with sorrow, what 
can we expect of frail humanity? I do not won- 
der that men and women commit suicide. The 
simple-minded and those of shallow experience 
may laugh at them, or call them crazy. "He 
jests at scars who never felt a wound," but he 
whose body has been torn, and whose blood has 
been poured out, knows how to sympathize with 
his fellow-men. So that one whose soul has never 
bled on the great battlefield of life can not ap- 
preciate the sufferings of his fellows, nor of 
Christ. 

But to the one who has passed or is passing 
229 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

through the deep waters comes the blessed as- 
surance, '"'He knoweth our sorrows." Though 
earth's most cherished plans fail; though your 
most trusted friends betray you ; though bereave- 
ments come with crushing force, and the clouds 
of sorrow almost overwhelm, be of good cheer : 
the light of Christ will break upon your path. 

"Behind the cloud the sun still shines," is a 
true and cheering proverb. "Blessed is the man 
that endureth temptation, for when he is tried 
he shall receive the crown of life." 

David will yet be the conqueror of his foes. 
He will sit upon the throne and rule a greater 
kingdom^ than Saul. 

The great prophet will hear the voice of God 
calling, "What doeth thou here, Elijah?" The 
angel will feed him in his day of hunger. He 
will be led to the mountain to see the glory of 
God. Refreshed and strengthened in body and 
soul, he will return to appoint kings, anoint 
prophets, and set the kingdom in order. 

Elijah will not die under the juniper tree. 
When his work is done, the chariot of heaven 
will swing low and sweep him to the skies. 

O sorrowing and discouraged soul, take heart ! 
God lives ! God loves ! His child shall not fail ! 

What shall we say of the experience of Jesus? 
Words fail us ; but this we know : 

"No risen Lord could eat the feast of love 
Here on earth, or yonder in the sky. 
Had He not lain within the sepulcher." 
230 



LIGHT AND POWER 

The crucifixion must precede the resurrection. 
The cross must be borne, if He would conquer 
death and reign "King of kings and Lord of 
lords." 

vSo with you. So with me. No battle, no vic- 
tory. No labor, no reward. No cross, no crown. 
The road may oft be rough, and the burden 
heavy; but "the path of the just is as the shin- 
ing light, that shineth more and more unto the 
perfect day." 

The deepest darkness the race can know is 
the darkness of sin. 

In ignorance we may hope for light ; in fact, 
the darkest ignorance has yet some gleams of 
intelligence. In sorrow and bereavements we 
may lean upon the everlasting arms, and hear 
the whispers of a Savior's love. But sin — black- 
visaged forerunner of despair — shuts out alike the 
light of earth and heaven. 

"The wages of sin is death." The words 
fall like a funeral knell. We know our bodies 
must die. Saint and sinner alike must lie in the 
grave. "The righteous hath hope in his death," 
but where is the hope of the sinner? In vain 
do deceivers ply their artful sophistries. ''God 
is too good to cast away His creatures," they 
argue. "Hell is a myth, and the judgment a 
farce," they shout, with great vehemence. "If 
you do die in your sins you will have another 
chance beyond the grave," they promise. But 
so long as the Word of God stands ; so long as 
231 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

man nas a conscience to which the Holy Ghost 
can appeal, the soul of man will tremble at the 
awful truth, ''The soul that sinneth, it shall die." 
xAs in the days of Paul, we still have ''the sen- 
tence of death in ourselves." 

There is but one remedy. "The gift of God 
is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord." 
Only He, who is Himself "the Way, the Truth, 
and the Life," can destroy sin and restore life. 

O soul in sin ! 'T is you whom Jesus came 
to save ! "God so loved the world" — the lost, 
sinful world — God so loved you — "that He gave 
His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth 
on Him should not perish, but have everlasting 
life." 

In your darkness you can not see the way. In 
your chains of appetite, habit, and passion there 
seems no deliverance. But for you, even for you, 
the Light has come. If, like the Philippian jailor, 
you ask, "What must I do to be saved?" like 
Paul, we would reply, "Believe on the Lord Jesus 
Christ, and thou shalt be saved." "If we confess 
our sins. He is faithful and just to forgive us 
our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteous- 
ness." 

Receive Christ as your Savior, and He who 
is the Light will drive away the darkness of sin 
and ''bring life and immortality to light." Then, 
"If we walk in the light as He is in the light, 
we have fellowship, one with another, and 

2'\2 



LIGHT AND POWER 

the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us 
from all sin." 

In our city the company which furnishes light 
also supplies power — is a light and power com- 
pany. 

What kind of power? Electric power. Power 
to run machinery, to drive street-cars, and turn 
the wheels of factories. 

In the Bible we are told that He who gives 
us light will also endow us with power. What 
kind of power? Spiritual power. To express 
theological terms in commercial language, we 
might say : 

To receive light^Conversion ; 
To receive power^Sanctification. 

I realize the fact that this statement of equa- 
tions is imperfect, for conversion and sanctifica- 
tion are interdependent — but so are the light and 
power. They emanate from the same source. 
They are of one substance. They are but dif- 
ferent manifestations of the same current. Still 
the figure may help us. 

The apostles had been called from their vari- 
ous occupations. They had left all, and followed 
Jesus. He had been their Companion, their 
Leader, their Teacher. Often they "sat at His 
feet" and heard His gracious words. They had 
journeyed with Him and beheld His miracles. 
They had put their faith in Him. "We trusted 

233 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

that it had been He which should have redeemed 
Israel." 

Still the promise of power was put in the 
future. "Ye shall receive power," promised 
Jesus, "after that the Holy Ghost is come upon 
you." 

Fifty days pass after the crucifixion, and still 
they tarry in prayer in the "upper room." Then, 
"when the day of Pentecost was fully come" — 
attended by the outward symbols which should 
make clear to them that this was the fulfillment 
of the promise — the long-sought power came. 
"They were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and 
with power." Such also, dear reader, is the prom- 
ise to you and to me. 

Where power is furnished, the man of business 
looks for tangible results. 

Where this East wSt. Louis company applies 
their power, wheels turn, cars move, bearing their 
cargoes of freight, express, or passengers ; fac- 
tories hum with industry and put forth their 
products to bless mankind. 

What of the Church? Shall men look in vain 
for tangible evidences of her power? 

What did this power do for the disciples? 
It transformed obscure and ignorant fishermen 
into the world's peerless leaders. It gave them 
dominion over sin in themselves and in others. 
When they spoke, men "took knowledge of them, 
that they had been with Jesus." Sinners heard 
them, and turned from sin. Kings upon their 

234 



LIGHT AND POWER 

thrones trembled at the words of their prisoners, 
and cried, "Almost thou persuadest me to be a 
Christian." The pagan emperor beholds the cross 
in the heavens, and proclaims Christianity as the 
religion of his realm. 

This power in the hearts of men has swept on 
and on in the conquest of the world. It is the 
power that is moving the world to-day. It is 
sending — not a few street-cars to neighboring 
towns, but — great companies of consecrated men 
and women to earth's remotest bounds. They 
carry — not a few bundles of baggage or express, 
but — the precious light and comfort of the gos- 
pel of Jesus to the benighted millions of earth. 

Paul heard the Macedonian cry, "Come over 
and help us !" He answered it with the gospel 
message, and the Christian nations of Europe are 
the result. The Pilgrim Fathers bore the gospel 
to our shores in the cabin of the Mayflower, and 
Christian America is the result. Livingstone, 
William Taylor, and Joseph Hartzell were im- 
pelled by this mysterious power to go to the 
shores of Darkest Africa ; and the "Midnight Con- 
tinent" is catching the foregleams of day. Japan 
has seen the light of Christ, and has sprung 
from obscurity and insignificance to a foremost 
place among the nations of the earth. Old China, 
the "Sleeping Giant of the Orient," has felt the 
thrusts of "the sword of the Spirit, which is the 
AVord of God," and a trembling world grows pale 
at his awakening. 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

Surely the day is fast approaching when "the 
kingdoms of this world" shall become *'the King- 
dom of our Lord and of His Christ ;" when from 
the great multitude, which no man can number, 
of all nations and kindreds and tongues and peo- 
ples, which stand before the throne, shall rise 
the grand psean of victory : "Alleluia ! the Lord 
God omnipotent reigneth." 



236 



"WHEN DEATH COMES—" 

"'I know not the day of my death." 

''Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death 
of His saints." 

"A good name is better than precious oint- 
ment; and the day of death, than the day of one's 
birth." 

"And God shall wipe away all tears from their 
eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither 
sorrow nor crying ; neither shall there be any 
more pain, for the former things are passed 
away." 

"When death comes — " It will come. There 
is no doubt of that. "It is appointed unto man, 
once to die." We know not the day, but we are 
sure it is coming. We put the thought away 
from us when we may, but it will return. 

"Yet a few days, and thee 

The all-beholding sun shall see no more 

In all his course ; nor yet in the cold ground, 

Where thy pale form was laid with many tears, 

Nor in the embrace of ocean, shall exist 

Thy image. Earth that nourished thee shall 

claim 
Thy growth, to be resolved to earth again, 
And, lost each human trace, surrendering up 
Thine individual being, shalt thou go 
To mix forever with the elements. 
To be a brother to the insensible rock 
And to the sluggish clod, which the rude swain 
Tiu"ns with his share, and treads upon." 

239 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

Man did not institute death ; and man can not 
abolish it. All the science of medicine, great as 
its achievements are ; all the skill of nursing, ten- 
derest of human ministries, and all the vain bab- 
blings of reputed ''healers" have failed to abolish 
death. The undertaker is still in business. Men 
die. Men have died. Men will die. 

There is much of truth, but little comfort, in 
the further words of this great poet : 

"Yet not to thine eternal resting-place 

Shalt thou retire alone ; nor couldst thou wish 

Couch more magnificent. Thou shalt lie down 

With patriarchs of the infant world, — with kings. 

The powerful of earth, — the wise, the good ; 

Fair forms and hoary seers of ages past, 

All in one mighty sepulcher. The hills — 

Rockribbed, and ancient as the sun, — the vales 

Stretching in pensive quietness between; 

The venerable woods, — rivers that move 

In majesty, and the complaining brooks 

That make the meadows green ; and, poured 

round all. 
Old Ocean's gray and melancholy waste, — 
Are but the solemn decorations, all, 
Of the great tomb of man." 

Away back in the ages past the patriarch Job 
declared an unalterable truth and raised what 
seemed an unanswerable question : "Man dieth 
and wasteth away. Yea, man giveth up the 
ghost, — and, where is he?" The declaration is as 
true to-day as in the days of Job. Has the ques- 
tion ever been answered? Do men still inquire, 
240 



WHEN DEATH COMES 

as he did, "If a man die, shall he live again?" 
Has the Creator of life been insensible to the cry 
of His creature? Or, sensible of that cry, has 
He failed to give definite and positive answer? 
Let us see. 

What of that answer suggested by our daily 
experience? Were it possible for a man to come 
to our earth in the full powers of mature reason, 
yet one who had never known of our earth's les- 
sons ; should that one see the sun, which lately 
shone in splendor, slowly sinking in the west, 
the shades of evening falling, and at last the 
sable curtains of night securely drawn ; and see, 
for the first time, the once active animals lie 
still, the singing birds hush their carols, and even 
men — rulers of this creation — fold their hands, 
close their eyes, and pass into a state of inactivity 
and unconsciousness — would he not think the end 
had come? Would he not think these lines of 
Holland's to be true? 

"The day is quenched, and the sun is fled; 
God has forgotten the world ! 
The moon is gone, and the stars are dead: 
God has forgotten the world !" 

Suppose this man to watch, in deep anxiety, 
through the lonely vigils of that first night he 
had ever seen. Heavily the sad hours drag by, 
when — lo ! a light begins to dawn. In yonder 
east is a strange, suggestive glow. Slowly, 't is 
true, but surely, the light increases. The birds 



i6 



241 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

begin to stir. The domestic animals rise from 
their nap. The men of earth wake from their 
peaceful slumbers to go forth again to scenes of 
duty, love, and pleasure. 

What an impression would all this make upon 
the one who had experienced it for the first time ! 
Would he not be ready to say, in perfect trust 
and confidence, when the next nightfall came : 

"Day will return, with a fresher boon ; 
God will remember the world ! 
Night will come, with a newer moon ; 
God will remember the world !" 

Then lead this man to the couch of the dying. 
He sees the breathing cease, and the eyes close. 
Cold hands are folded above a heart that has 
ceased to beat. But with triumphant eyes he 
looks above and says : ''Dear Lord, now do I 
understand the lesson of the night. Thou hast 
given us the days of life; Thou wilt give us the 
day eternal." Then come to mind more clearly 
the words of the Great Teacher, "Though he were 
dead, yet shall he live." 

The days pass into months, and another les- 
son is taught by the changing seasons. The 
green grass fades on yonder hillside. The trees 
shed their leaves, and stand with bare and naked 
branches. All nature is dead and wrapped in its 
winding-sheet of snow. We feel like saying with 
Bryant : 



WHKN DEATH COMES 

"The melancholy days are come, the saddest of 
the year; 

With wailing winds, and naked woods, and mead- 
ows brown and sere ; 

Heaped in the hollows of the grove, the autumn 
leaves lie dead : 

They rustle to the eddying gust, and to the rab- 
bit's tread. 

The robin and the w^ren are flown ; and from the 
shrubs the jay, 

And from the wood-top calls the crow through 
all the gloomy day. 

The southwind searches for the flowers, whose 

fragrance late he bore. 
And sighs to find them in the wood, and by the 

stream, no more." 

This man, who has never seen a springtime, 
grows sad and despondent. The world is surely 
dying. 

But a change comes. One day the clouds are 
lifted. The sun shines out in all his glory. The 
grass springs up in greener, fresher dress. The 
birds return with sweeter warbles. The flowers 
swing their gorgeous censers, spilling sweetest 
incense upon the balmy air. Earth lives again ! 
The Easter-day proclaims the glad tidings of a 
new life. 

The man to whom the springtime is new 
bows his head in holy reverence above a new- 
made grave and cries, "Thou, too, O departed 
loved one, shall shine with brighter glory in the 
land of eternal spring!" 

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SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

With passing years the answers of God come 
in clearer tones and sweeter symbols. But He 
is not content while one doubt remains in the 
minds of His creatures, or one fear possesses 
their souls. He sends to earth with each suc- 
ceeding generation His prophets, priests, and wise 
men. In all ages "holy men of God spake as 
they were moved by the Holy Ghost." Moses 
has brought to earth the laws of God. Isaiah, 
Ezekiel, and Daniel have uttered their ringing 
prophecies. Jeremiah has poured forth his tears 
and lamentations over a sinful people. Malachi 
has warned of "the great and dreadful day of the 
Lord." Each of these and a host of others have 
taught the world invaluable lessons. 

But in the fullness of time God sent into the 
world His own dear Son. The Prince of Heaven 
came to set the question of the ages forever at 
rest. 

His message rings clear as a bugle-call on the 
morning air, 'T am the Resurrection and the 
Life; he that believeth on Me, though he were 
dead, yet shall he live ; and whosoever liveth and 
believeth on Me, shall never die." 

His word should be sufficient, but men are 
so dull. He will demonstrate it unto them. He 
lives an average lifetime. He partakes of the 
experiences of His fellow-men. He toils, rests, 
eats, sleeps, loves, labors. He tastes life's joys 
and sorrows. He mingles with others at the 
wedding-feast, in the market place, and the tem- 

^-14 



WHEN DEATH COMES 

pie. His life is spotless : His love supreme : His 
teachings marvelous. Superhuman power is His, 
yet He endures human shame and reproach. He 
dies ! Dies at the hands of His fellow-men. 
Those He came to save, crucify Him. The tomb 
receives His lifeless body. The stone is sealed. 
A watch is set. His heart-broken disciples go 
on their mournful way. Evil reigns ! Death 
reigns ! The Prince of Life is slain ! 

''When death comes — " is there nothing more? 
'Tf a man die, shall he live again?" What is 
God's answer? 

A flash of morning light ! A descending an- 
gel ! An open and empty tomb ! The guards fall 
as dead men. The trembling women — first at the 
tomb — hear the glad message : ''He is not here ! 
He is risen !" 

The question of the ages is answered. "Now 
is Christ risen from the dead, and become the 
firstfruits of them that slept. For, since by man 
came death, by man came also the resurrection 
from the dead ; for as in Adam all die, even so in 
Christ shall all be made alive; but every man 
in his own order ; Christ the firstfruits ; afterward 
they that are Christ's at His coming." 

"As we have borne the image of the earthy, 
we shall also bear the image of the heavenly." 
"So when this corruptible shall have put on in- 
corruption, and this mortal shall have put on 
immortality, then shall be brought to pass the 
saying that is written : , Death is swallowed up 
245 



SERMONS FROM THE SIGNBOARDS 

ill victory! O Death, where is thy sting? O 
Grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death 
is sin, and the strength of the sin is the law. 
But thanks be to God, which giveth us the vic- 
tory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 

"We shall sleep, but not forever ; 

There will be a glorious dawn ! 
We shall meet to part, no, never, 

On the resurrection morn ! 
From the deepest caves of ocean. 

From the desert and the plain, 
From the valley and the mountain, 

Countless throngs shall rise again. 

''We shall sleep, but not forever. 

In the lone and silent grave. 
Blessed be the Lord that taketh ; 

Blessed be the Lord that gave. 
In that bright, eternal city, 

Death can never, never come ! 
In His own good time He '11 call us 

From our rest to Home, sweet Home." 



246 



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